The Contact
by ChristinaFay
Summary: It all started as a task, a responsibility, and a secret wartime communication channel. Throughout the years however, the mysterious contact slowly became so much more to Hermione than neither of them could have imagined. When the war was finally over, nothing could stop her from looking for the true identity of the man she loved. Set two years after the war, ignore epilogue.
1. Once Upon an Assignment

**_Summary: It all started as a task, a responsibility, and a secret wartime communication channel. Throughout the years however, the mysterious contact slowly became so much more to Hermione than neither of them could have imagined. When the war was finally over, nothing could stop her from looking for the true identity of the man she loved. Was she looking too far, and missing what was right in front of her? Set two years after the war, disregard epilogue. _**

**_The following story is a challenge I set out for myself_****_. Recently I was reminded that I've used the time turner for most of my stories and therefore, have been avoiding the age difference between SS and HG. I think it's about time to change that... and try something new! I hope you'll stay with me on this new journey..._**

**____****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****____****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__********_Special thanks goes to TMNinjaGinga for being my beta! _**

**_All characters belong to the brilliant J. K. Rowling._**

* * *

**The Contact**

**Chapter One - Once Upon an Assignment**

**November 1999**

"I had a good time tonight Ron. Thanks for dinner." Hermione gave the red-haired wizard a small hug before turning towards the door leading to her London flat.

"Er... Do you want me to come in?" Ron asked tentatively.

"Well..." Hermione turned around to face the young wizard, "I had a long day at the Ministry. I'm kind of tired. And tomorrow is going to be a busy one..."

"Tomorrow is Sunday Hermione." Ron said quietly.

Letting out a sigh Hermione opened the door and led Ron into her flat. "Would you like something to drink? I can make some tea..."

"No thanks." Ron closed the door behind him, "I just want to talk to you for a minute. And I didn't want to say it in the hall way." The wizard dropped his head and ran a hand behind his neck, as if having a hard time searching the right words. Finally, he took a deep breath and said, "You don't really feel it, do you? I mean the sparks... The sparks that they say you should feel if you are... in love."

Hermione looked at Ron and bit on her bottom lip. After a long pause she answered, "No Ron... I'm sorry."

"Oh no no, don't apologize!" Ron gave her a weak smile. "That's what I've been trying to tell my mum and Ginny for the longest time. But they wouldn't believe me. Do you still..." He choked on his words, "think of me as your friend?"

"Of course I do!" Hermione answered without missing a beat, "You are my best friend! Both you and Harry! You are like my brothers. It's a different kind of love. But I do love you!"

"That's good." Ron let out a sigh of relief and he smiled back at Hermione, "So you wouldn't be upset if... Er... This girl I know from work... er... she wants to go to a Quidditch game with me next weekend. And er..."

"Oh don't worry about me Ronald, if that's what you are saying!" Hermione smiled at her best friend, "I definitely will not mind. I'm so sorry... I've been wasting your time, haven't I. I was just so worried that if I said anything earlier it would hurt your feelings. I want you to be happy, just like Harry and Ginny. Ask her out on a date! And if she does turn out to be right for you, would you let me know?"

"You'll be the first one to know Hermione." Ron smiled broadly at Hermione now that he got the answer he was looking for. Taking a step closer to Hermione he hugged her gently. "I'm so glad to have you as my best friend too. Good night."

Hermione smiled at the young wizard as he made his way to the door. As he reached for the door knob, Ron stopped and turned to face Hermione again. "Hermione..." He frowned, "Er... since you think of me as a brother and your best friend, can I be frank with you?"

Hermione smiled with a frown, "Of course Ron."

"You can't go on like this." Ron said quietly, "Harry and I have been worried about you. All you are doing is work these days. You turn down all social activities. When was the last time you took a vacation? Or had a regular weekend? I get that you are not interested in me. But will you please at least give someone else a try? Don't you want to find the right one for you? Maybe you can make that your new year's resolution for the new millennium?"

Hermione continued to smile at her best friend as she shook her head, "Don't worry about me Ron. I am just... not interested at the moment. Maybe it will change one of these days. And I'll definitely let you and Harry know if I need help finding a date."

As Hermione closed the door behind Ron she felt a burden lifted from her shoulders. It was truly a relief that she'd finally cleared everything up with him. Then she recalled his words right before he left: _give someone else a try..._ She shook her head and smiled sadly. That would be impossible now, as her heart had long ago chosen the one she wanted. There was only one problem: she didn't know who he was.

Putting the tea kettle on the stove Hermione wandered into her study. Her fingers brushed against the books on her bookshelf and stopped at a black leather-bound notebook. The binding of the edges was slightly torn. She had fixed it with the Reparo charm many times in the early years when it first came to her possession, worrying that it would break apart on her run during the war. But she had stopped fixing it after the war, knowing the notebook would always have a safe place in her study. She liked the look of the slightly worn edges. It gave the notebook a personality of imperfection, which to her was very attractive in a strange way.

With the notebook in hand she sat down by the desk. Tracing the cover of the book she remembered the day when she first received it from Dumbledore, and wondered if that day had also changed a certain wizard's life the same way it had changed hers...

* * *

**May 1995**

It was two days before the summer holiday. Everyone at Hogwarts was still shocked by the death of Cedric Diggory. If not because she was so preoccupied by what Harry told her about what had happened in the graveyard, Hermione would have been utterly surprised when she was summoned by the Headmaster early in the afternoon.

"Good afternoon Miss Granger!" The old wizard greeted her cheerfully. "I have a present and a task for you." From the drawer in his desk Dumbledore pulled out a black leather-bound notebook. "Miss Granger, allow me to present you with one of my most recent inventions."

Taking the notebook from the old wizard Hermione frowned, "Do you want me to take notes for something, Professor?"

"Something like that." Dumbledore smiled from behind his half-moon spectacles, but his expression turned serious quickly, "A war is upon us, Hermione. I cannot guarantee that I will always be there to assist Harry. But I have a feeling that you will. As a preparation for a situation in which you may be isolated from outside help, I am giving this magical notebook to you as a backup plan. Whatever you write in this notebook will be transmitted to its mate, which will be maintained by an undercover wizard, who is a member of the Order of the Phoenix. Oh yes, I might have forgotten to mention, but there is a group of very talented and loyal wizards and witches, who have been working with me throughout the First Wizarding War. They call themselves the Order of the Phoenix. Using this tool, you can either provide information that you would like to communicate to the outside world, or send requests for assistance. The Order member on the receiving end will do whatever he can to provide you with instructions or assistance."

"Why me?" was the first question came to Hermione's mind.

"I only have two of these notebooks Hermione. So naturally, I must choose carefully with my assignments. I trust your loyalty to Harry, and therefore believe you are best suited for this task. As far as the other individual, I assure you that you can trust him with your life. I know I do." The Headmaster paused for a brief moment, as if considering something he just said. "There are magical measures in place as part of the protection of this secret communication channel. One is that these two notebooks can only be used by the two of you. No one else can even open it because of a charm I have embedded into the covers. Also," Dumbledore smiled at Hermione, with mischief twinkling in his eyes, "In the event when someone else gains access to an open notebook, it would be impossible for them to try and find the individual who sent the original message, as a charm has been put in place to convert your handwriting into a standard font, and the source of the message is untraceable."

The Headmaster went on and gave her some other details about the magical devise. Hermione listened carefully and took mental notes. The more she considered the instructions however, the more concerned she became. The definition of war still sounded like an abstract concept. Yet the necessity of the notebook seemed to have emphasized the unpredictable future they were facing.

When Dumbledore finally finished his instructions, he gave Hermione one last reminder, "In the interest of the safety for both you and the wizard on the other end, try to avoid unnecessary attention."

Nodding solemnly Hermione left the Headmaster's office. As she walked down the stairs absentmindedly, she almost ran into a tall figure dressed in complete black. As she looked up at the Potions Master, his deep dark eyes sent a chill down her spine. Hermione knew from watching him and Dumbledore meeting with Harry in the Hospital Wing that Snape was on their side, yet for whatever reason, he still managed to intimidate her more than anyone else in the school. Hastily Hermione ran down the corridor towards the Gryffindor Tower. Never once did she look back, or think twice about the Potions Master's visit to the Headmaster's office.

Severus Snape watched quietly as the girl with bushy brown hair disappeared in the corridor before making his way up to the Headmaster's office. He was not surprised by the late afternoon summon. A war had begun, and there would be much to discuss with the old wizard. He almost felt sorry for the students. The dunderheads had no idea what the Dark Lord was about to bring upon their world.

When Snape entered the Headmaster's office, Dumbledore was looking out of his window towards the castle grounds. A few students were leaving the school for their summer holidays early, due to their parents' concerns over the recent events at the Triwizard Tournament.

"You wished to see me Albus?" Snape asked in his smooth cool voice.

"Alas Severus. Yes." The old wizard greeted the Potions Master cheerfully. "I want to share with you some of my plans to protect Harry."

"I thought we had already discussed this in great detail. Isn't he going back to his blood relatives for the summer? Sirius Black and the other ones from the Order will be watching him like hawks. What else is there for us to discuss?" Snape asked coolly.

"Patience my boy, patience." Dumbledore chuckled and handed Snape a black leather-bound notebook. "May I present you with my latest invention?"

Taking the notebook from the Headmaster Snape opened the cover and took a cautious glance. "How fascinating Albus. I'm certain that you did not call upon me to discuss your discovery of the basic knowledge of binding a book."

"You know me well." Dumbledore let out a chuckle. "This is my latest invention of a communication tool. I am planning ahead Severus. Although I wish this would be an unnecessary assignment, I do want to make sure Harry has a backup plan when he is isolated from the outside world someday in the future."

"Don't flatter me." Snape sneered at the Headmaster, "Please don't tell me that you want _me_ to answer Potter's distress call using this notebook."

"Not quite Severus, but you sure know the games that spies play." Dumbledore continued to smile at the Potions Master from behind his half-moon obstacles. "Harry does not have any knowledge about this notebook. The mate of this one," The old wizard pointed at the notebook in Snape's hands, "was given to a close friend of his. Your responsibility is to help them when I do not have the capacity to offer them with any assistance."

"You can't be seriously considering having me exchanging notes with Granger!" Snape narrowed his eyes.

"Your intelligence never ceases to impress me Severus!" The Headmaster was slightly taken aback. "How do you know I gave it to her?"

"Oh please Albus, how difficult to guess could this be? You just told me Potter is not aware of this arrangement. I trust that even you would not have given the task to Weasley, who can barely write a decent paragraph when he's not in a life or death situation. It can only be Granger, which brings it back to my original point: there is no way I would be willing to exchange notes with a school girl."

"She is not always going to be a school girl, Severus." Dumbledore answered patiently, "And besides, this is not only for Harry." A small frown crawled between the old wizard's brows as he turned away from Snape, "I am also considering your own situation my boy. I am risking having you stuck behind enemy line someday in the future. I don't know what you will need in a situation like that. This will at least give you a channel to communicate with the Order outside of your surroundings."

"What a comforting thought, Headmaster." Snape drawled, "How should I express my gratitude for your arrangement of having the Gryffindor know-it-all save my pathetic life someday?"

"Don't draw your conclusion so soon my boy." Dumbledore was clearly not offended by Snape's sarcasm. "Give it some time. You don't need to let her know who you are if you don't feel comfortable doing so. The only thing I told her about you was that you are a member of the Order, and that she can trust you with her life. Consider it only a backup plan. Think of her like a pen pal. How does that sound?"

"Just splendid." Snape grunted as he turned to the door. "A war is upon us and I am given the task of being a _pen pal_ with a teenage girl. I don't know Albus... Just don't count on me to provide any supportive counseling if she starts writing about her problems with boys. I can't believe this rubbish..." Murmuring to himself Snape walked out of the Headmaster's office, with the notebook in his hands, and his black cloak billowing behind him.

It didn't take very long before Snape was reminded of his annoying responsibility. Later in that same evening, he noticed a soft glow coming from the notebook. Narrowing his eyes he slowly opened the notebook. A few short paragraphs were neatly typed up on the page in front of him. He grimaced as he began to read,

"_Dear Sir,_

_Please forgive me for writing you so soon. I was just given this assignment today and I am eager to understand the magic associated with the devise. I am sure you would not mind us trying this out? Just in case, you know, if something bad happens and we will need to communicate using this method soon._

_Well, I am sure Dumbledore has already shared Harry's experience with all of the Order members. Sirius told us that just last night. So obviously there isn't anything new that's bad happening right this moment, and I really don't have any secret information to pass on to you. How about a little bit of self-introduction? And I would be more than happy to go first. _

_My name is Hermione Granger and I just finished my fourth year at Hogwarts. I am a muggle-born witch. My parents are dentists and they have a dental practice in London. What else is there... well, I have a cat and his name is Crookshanks._

_Professor Dumbledore told me that I can trust you with my life. I want to thank you in advance for your help. And I thought at least it would be nice to know who I am talking to. I look forward to getting to know you and begin this secret communication task in the future._

_Sincerely,_

_Hermione Granger_"

Snape pinched the bridge of his nose as he finished reading the note in front of him. This was absolutely hopeless. The girl had no understanding of the meaning of secret communication. Even if everything Dumbledore told her was true, how could she just offer everything about herself to a stranger on a silver platter?

Sneering at the notebook in front of him Snape was ready to give the brainless know-it-all a good lesson. Quickly he turned the page and watched her notes slowly dissolve into the paper. Picking up his quill he began his response.

_"Miss Granger,_

_Who in their right mind would have offered every single piece of detail about their life to a complete stranger? We will soon be in the middle of a war! I do not intend to be your imaginary friend who would answer every girly question of yours. Think carefully about how you will be using this magical device. I expect you to"_

He suddenly stopped his quill as he realized what he was doing. Unknowingly, he had been following the girl's irrational behavior. Writing in the way that he usually spoke would certainly give away his personality, and would likely encourage the Griffyndor know-it-all to dig into the arrangement deeper. Snape was not ready to reveal his identity to the girl, if that would ever become a consideration.

Letting out a grunt Snape tore out the page from the notebook, the only way to prevent a message from being transferred out. Taking a deep breath, he tried to calm his anger and began again,

_"Dear Miss Granger,_

_It was very nice of you to introduce yourself. Please be advised however, that it is extremely important to protect the secrecy of this device. As such, it is pertinent that we both keep this in mind and try to be discreet with all of our communications, and only use it when it is absolutely necessary."_

Snape paused for a brief moment thinking about how to end the note, and finally signed the note with:

_"Sincerely,_

_T"_

He had decided that using anything associated with his name, such as his initials, would have been given away his identity too easily. There was a reason why the girl was so close to Potter after all. They were both equally curious in other people's business, in an insufferably bad way. Snape let out another grunt as he read through his notes, before turning the page and letting the message disappear into the pages.

Snape closed the notebook happily, thinking he had successfully shut the girl up for a while. However, his optimism was short-lived. Soon after he closed the notebook, another warm glow announced Granger's second note.

_"Thank you so much Sir. I appreciate your advice. What does the T stand for? I understand it's a code name. So may I call you Tom? Or Todd? Or Tim? Or how about Ted?"_

Clenching his jaw Snape picked up his quill, and this time he didn't have the self-control to rethink his words to hide his displeasure:

_"No. You may not call me by any of those ridiculous names! It is T. And that is final."_

Slamming the notebook shut he watched the message being transmitted through a soft glow. Letting out a sigh he reached for his firewhiskey. He couldn't help but wondering how the tedious task would slowly drive him to insanity.

* * *

**_What do you think so far? Hope to hear from you! =)_**


	2. Chamomile Tea and Firewhiskey

**__****____****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****____****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__********_My goodness... Your encouragement is absolutely overwhelming! I love it! Thank you! I do plan on maintaining a weekly schedule for future updates. And yes I do have the entire story planned out (all the way to the last word). So never worry that I will not continue. I do however consider all of your reviews very carefully. My story line may just expand here and there because of something you bring up in your comments! So keep the reviews and questions coming! =)_**

**__****____****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****____****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__********_Thank you TMNinjaGinga for being my beta again! You have no idea how much your comments mean to me and my story! _**

**_All characters belong to the brilliant J. K. Rowling._**

* * *

**Chapter Two - Chamomile Tea and Firewhiskey**

**November 1999**

The whistle of the tea kettle pulled Hermione back from the memory of that distant school day in the Headmaster's office. Gently she put the notebook back on her desk and headed to the kitchen.

As the delicate aroma of chamomile relaxed her senses, Hermione settled into the sofa in her study with a cup of tea in her hand. Looking at the notebook from a distance, she could feel the magic pulling her towards it. She wondered when and how the daily communications with the mysterious T had become such an important part of her life.

She remembered the business-like tone in T's initial responses. He was very formal with his replies in the beginning, except for his reaction to her various suggestions to address him. She thought it was funny that the wizard sounded so annoyed in his response. _The letter "T" must have some very important meanings to him!_ She chuckled at her own thoughts.

She didn't write to him again during the summer holiday of 1995, because there were hardly any reasons to do so. She took following his instructions very seriously. After all, he did say to use the devise only when it was absolutely necessary.

And besides, Hermione was rather occupied during that particular summer. Slowly sipping the warm and soothing liquid Hermione remembered her correspondence with Viktor Krum. She smiled at the memory of her brief romance with the young wizard. Many girls had envied her for her involvement with the young celebrity; but for Hermione, she was more grateful for what she was able to learn from the short-lived relationship. It was a priceless lesson for her fifteen-year-old self to realize that what she needed from a relationship was far more than physical strength and success in a popularity contest.

Taking another sip of her tea Hermione looked back at the notebook. She always had a feeling that "T" wouldn't give her the kind of blank stare she typically received from the other young wizards every time when she brought up a discussion involving logical thinking. During their many exchanges, she had learned that T was always able to offer comments that would either open her mind or expand her understanding in her magical study.

She remembered the first time when she reached out for T's help. It was the night she learned that Dumbledore had left Hogwarts in order to protect the students who called themselves Dumbledore's Army. She remembered sitting in her four-poster in the middle of the night, worried. She felt responsible for the Headmaster's departure, as she was the one pushing for the initial organization of the group. Even with that evil woman, Umbridge, in the faculty, Hermione had never worried so much about the war until that night. She had always trusted that Dumbledore would be able to protect all of them, and take care of all the problems. The fact that even Dumbledore could not confront the Ministry and had to flee the school showed her a different landscape of the war. For the first time since she left home and entered the wizarding world, Hermione was unsure about her own interpretation of the politics outside of Hogwarts.

That was when she wrote T her first request for guidance. She remembered how she scribbled in the notebook under her wand light, waiting for the words to disappear into the paper. She didn't expect to hear back from him right away. It was in the middle of the night after all, but a part of her became worried when she didn't see a response back in a few minutes. What if T was gone too... just like Dumbledore?

Hermione remembered how her heart had swelled when she saw the warm glow between the pages about half an hour later. She was exhilarated to see the words appearing on paper line by line. She read the note desperately, as if she were being offered a glass of pure water after crossing a desert.

_"There is no need for you to worry yourself Miss Granger."_

After so many years, she still felt like she could see the message in front of her,

_"Dumbledore is a powerful wizard and he has his reasons to do what he did today. Continue to focus on your study. That ought to be the top priority for you and all of your friends right now. You need to prepare yourselves by learning as much as you can when you are still at Hogwarts. Things may or may not get better in the near future. However, just remember, you are not alone._

_T."_

His note was not long, yet it sounded so calm and certain. His tone comforted her, assured her, and encouraged her. One thing from that particular note managed to stay with her throughout the years: she was not alone.

That was the beginning of many notes that Hermione had exchanged with this mysterious contact. At the beginning they wrote each other once a week. But the frequency increased immediately after Dumbledore was killed by Snape at the end of the following school year. To Hermione, the notes she received from her secret contact were the only light she saw in the darkness, where all hope had vanished with the death of the old Headmaster.

They exchanged notes almost daily when she was on the run with Ron and Harry. Looking back, Hermione knew she had always relied on T's direction when they were lost. She couldn't give herself the credit for being the "brain of the golden trio", as the media had portrayed her after the war. She wished she could tell them she had a secret mentor throughout the years. However, she couldn't tell them that, because of a promise she had made to T. She had agreed to keep their communication completely confidential, even after the war. Since she had never been able to do anything for him, Hermione thought at least she could respect the wishes of her secret contact.

It was indeed no longer necessary for them to exchange notes after the war, just like there was no need to maintain the secrecy. But their daily communications continued on. Hermione never asked T why he still refused to tell her who he really was, because a part of her didn't want to know. His mysterious identity intrigued her. In her fantasy, she wished he harbored the same feelings she had for him. Hermione lost many nights of sleep wondering about the different possibilities of T's identity. The most logical, yet disturbing situation that she could think of, was that he was married, maybe even with children, and couldn't approach her in a normal relationship. Then why wouldn't he stop writing her? Could it be because he somehow couldn't let go of her just like she couldn't let go of him?

Hermione blushed at the thought of herself entangling with a married man. That would be a relationship she could not approve of herself having. Taking a deep breath of the scent of her chamomile tea she got up from her sofa and walked over to her desk.

There were many other reasons why Hermione was not interested in dating, other than the obvious crush she had developed for her secret contact. She didn't lie when she told Ron she was busy. There were two big piles of papers on her desk. One was from work, for a difficult case she would have to start dealing with on Monday. The other pile, much higher than the one from work, was her research on how to undo the memory charm that she had cast on her parents.

Working at the Ministry allowed Hermione to better understand the new stipulations put in place by the new wizarding government regarding the misuse of magic on muggles. After working on the criminal defense team on several cases, she quickly realized the lack of leniency in these new laws. She was certain that the memory charm she used on her parents would not be approved under the new standards. Fearing the consequences of her actions, she didn't tell anyone about her research. Instead, she poured every waking hour of her weekends into looking for a way to bring her parents' memories back.

She set the tea down next to the desk lamp as she sat down at her desk. It was getting late. She had no energy left to look into her research or the files she'd brought back from work. The only comforting thought was that it was time for their daily exchange. With a smile in her face Hermione opened the notebook, wrote down a few paragraphs, and quietly turned the page. The words slowly dissolved between the pages in a warm glow, and left her with nothing but hope. He would soon answer her note, just like he had every night over the past few years.

* * *

He wished there was a bottle of firewhiskey in the cupboard of the small studio. Glaring at the bare walls around him, Severus let out a grunt. _Get_ _over_ _it_ _Snape_. He said to himself under his breath. _This is far from bad. Wait until they send you to Azkaban. _

He had been locked up in the small studio called the Detention Facility for over a month, under a new investigation initiated by the Ministry.

"The Aurors' Office cleared my name over a year ago." He remembered telling a Ministry staff arrogantly at the door one day.

He recognized the young man outside his door as a Gryffindor who used to be in his potions class. At first Snape was sure the wizard took the assignment only to take revenge on all those points deducted for his poor performance at school. The young wizard however, did not appear to be proud to be there.

"I'm really sorry Professor Snape. This is a request from a different department. The Aurors' Office has nothing to do with this. And them clearing your name also..." The young wizard cleared his throat uncomfortably, "has nothing to do with this. My team was instructed to come here and collect you. You will need to come and stay at the Ministry Detention Center while you await trial."

That conversation marked the beginning of Severus' month-long detention. He was told a defense lawyer would be assigned to him before the trial, yet apparently not a single lawyer working for the Ministry was available over the past four weeks.

Severus had a feeling this was more than the opening of an old case. From reading between the lines in the Daily Prophet - the only allowed reading materials at the facility - he had concluded the new Ministry was going through a power struggle. It seemed as if an unknown group of individuals within the new government had been looking for excuses to challenge the Aurors' Office. _It only made sense, _Severus stroked his chin with his pale long finger as he glared at the newspaper headlines, _that Severus Snape should be used to set an example._

He realized the severity of his situation long before he noticed the delay in the arrival of his defense lawyer. Although he hadn't maintained much contact with Harry Potter since the end of the war, he knew the young wizard wouldn't let him simply be locked away without any interference. But since he hadn't heard a word from the young wizard, Severus could only think of one explanation: even Potter was not aware of his upcoming trial.

The idea of informing the Gryffindor princess about his current situation using the secret notebook only crossed Severus' mind once during those long four weeks.

_What an ironic predicament._ Severus thought bitterly. Even when they were in the middle of the war he never thought of asking her for help. Yet when the war was over, he found himself completely isolated and resourceless. If the young wizard who went to collect him hadn't had a little sympathy for his situation, and had not let him bring along his "journal", he wouldn't even have this option.

Severus however quickly dismissed the idea of asking her for help. She should not be brought into the upcoming political conflict. If he couldn't let her know how much she meant to him all this time, at least he would protect her once more, by not asking for help, by not making her worry about him, and by not telling her his true identity.

Pacing pointlessly in the room Severus' gaze lingered on the notebook on his desk. She would soon write him, like she always did every night over the past few years.

He couldn't remember how many notes they had exchanged. But he always remembered the one she wrote him after Dumbledore fled Hogwarts in order to protect "Dumbledore's Army".

_"Dear T, I am so worried."_

The note was clear in his mind, as if he had just read it yesterday,

_"It is my fault. I shouldn't have encouraged Harry to start the group and practice defensive magic. I thought it would be the only way for us to gain some hands-on experience. Did you know that horrid Umbridge doesn't even allow us to use magic in our DADA class? But it was never my intention to get the Headmaster in trouble. What have I done? I didn't mean to make Professor Dumbledore leave Hogwarts today. What are we going to do without him here?_

_For the longest time I thought I had read enough and knew enough about the wizarding world. But today I realized my understanding is absolutely inadequate. How is this war going to affect us all? I don't trust the Daily Prophet. Our teachers are not telling us what's happening outside of school. And I don't have a wizarding family that will owl me and let me know what's going on. Dear T, I feel so alone..."_

Severus remembered reading her note again and again before writing back to her. For some reason when he read her note, he wasn't thinking about the bushy-haired Gryffindor in another corner of the castle. Instead, he kept thinking about a conversation he had with Lily, right about the time when the Dark Lord began his recruiting efforts among Hogwarts' young wizards.

"Sev," Lily cornered him one day in the corridor, "Is it true? They said you are into the dark arts?"

"What's wrong with the dark arts? It's just another kind of advanced magic." Severus grunted in response. "Your friends fear the Dark Lord because their limited intelligence does not allow them to comprehend the power of the dark arts." He spat between clenched teeth. Lily had distanced herself from him ever since he called her by that terrible name in the mist of his fury. She made him angry when she started talking about her new "friends".

"No Sev." Lily's voice was full of concern, "Please, don't join them, if you still consider me your friend."

"I didn't know you still thought of me as a friend." He answered coldly.

"Of course I do Sev." Lily's eyes widened in surprise, "You have always been there for me, all these years. Don't you know how I appreciate you showing me the wizarding world before we came to Hogwarts? Without you helping me, I would have been so alone..."

"Until you got cozy with Potter that is." He cut her off rudely, and was further infuriated when Lily couldn't come up with a response.

Severus often wondered what would have happened if he hadn't called Lily that terrible name. Would they be able to stay being friends? Would he have listened to her and not become a Death Eater?

It was, indeed, too long ago. But when he saw the note from Hermione Granger, he felt a wave of strange emotions. Lily said she never felt alone because he was always there for her. He never had the opportunity to continue that friendship. Could he find a way to remember Lily by offering the same help to someone else?

That was the first time he wrote back with an assuring message to Granger. He thought the note was completely out of his own character as he read through it again. He couldn't imagine himself saying anything like that in front of the Gryffindor know-it-all. The notebook however, offered him another personality. He didn't have to be himself when he wrote her and, on the other hand, he was allowed to be his true self for once, without the necessity of wearing the masks of an intimidating professor and a double agent.

At the beginning of their correspondence Severus had considered the exchange a mere responsibility. Soon however, it became a way for him to freely express his concerns and opinions. And to his surprise, as he slowly opened himself up in the messages, he quickly learned a different side of the girl named Hermione Granger.

He had expected to have to come up with some sort of comforting words in their routine exchange the day after he sent Dumbledore to his doom. He expected a note from her full of hatred towards the traitor named Severus Snape. To his surprise however, her note was nothing like what he had expected:

_"I still cannot believe Snape killed Dumbledore. I know he did it because Harry saw him with his own eyes. But I just don't think it can be that simple. Dumbledore trusted him, more than anyone else. I can't believe that Dumbledore can be so easily hoodwinked. Could there be more behind Snape's motives? I know I should hate him, like everyone else has been telling me. But I think I pity him more than I hate him. He betrayed someone who trusted him and cared about him for so many years. We all know he is not going to get that from Voldemort. Maybe he lost his senses in that brief moment? I can't even imagine how sorry he will be someday when he looks back at last night's event. I wish I could talk to him, and understand what was really going on..."_

Severus remembered how his heart trembled as he read her message. For a brief moment he thought he was imagining the words in front of him. He never expected anyone to question his motives. The simple doubt in her words gave him the atonement he hadn't dared to wish for.

After staring at that note from her for the longest time, he turned the page to let the words disappear, and wrote down his very short reply,

_"What can I say... Your compassion is astounding."_

He couldn't write another word after that. So he turned the page and watched the message disappear. She wouldn't understand what he meant by those words. She would probably think he was reacting like all the other Order members, grieving the loss of Dumbledore and wishing they could tear Severus Snape apart limb by limb.

That was the turning point for Severus during their frequent exchange. Slowly he found himself growing to care about the girl far more than what a professor should about his student, or what a spy should about his contact. He thought of her often during the last year of the war. Her daily notes were the only hope he saw in the darkness around him. Every night when he saw the few paragraphs appearing in the notebook, he was reminded of the future, a future full of opportunities for her and a future that was unimaginable for him.

After the war, he tried but could not stop wanting to see her words appearing on the magical paper every night. It was like an addiction he could not shake. So when he saw her messages, he wrote her back.

He had never had many friends during his life; and the end of the war did not change that. He eventually ended his teaching career by simply sending McGonagall a piece of paper with his resignation and started making a living by taking random potion orders from St. Mungo's. It was not a lot of money, but was enough for him to get by. He didn't need any human interactions, as long as he could exchange a few words everyday with her.

That would soon change however, if the fate awaited him was Azkaban. Severus closed his eyes and took a deep breath. How was he going to explain all these things to her when he had to go? How would he cope when he couldn't see her words anymore? Would she even care if he wouldn't be able to write her again?

Slowly he opened his eyes and let out a sigh. That was why he needed a glass of firewhiskey. He needed the golden liquid to find his escape from his hopeless reality.

A warm glow radiating from the notebook greeted him in silence. _How predictable._ He murmured to himself, knowing he would miss this neurotic behavior of hers. Sitting down at his desk Severus opened the notebook. His lips slowly curled up into a small smile as the familiar greeting came into view.

* * *

_**Another chapter to set the premise. A little slow, but necessary... I'm sure you've picked up a few hints here and there? Drama will soon begin... in the next chapter! **_

_**For some of you who may not think it's possible to fall in love with someone only from exchanging letters, well, it can happen. My husband of twelve years exchanged daily emails with me for over two months before calling me for the first time. After that, another month had past before we finally had our first date, and met each other for the first time. How are things working out? Well, let's just say we are still in the middle of our honeymoon. =) But my experience is not nearly interesting enough to become a story. When it comes to Severus Snape, everything is complicated... **_

_**I hope to hear from you. Review please!**_


	3. Client Confidentiality

**__****____****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****____****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__********_Thank you all for your reviews! Some of you have guessed part of the directions that the story will be heading, but not exactly the same as what I have in mind... Let's see if you like the following development..._**

**__****____****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****____****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__********_By the way, the reason why this story flows better than my other ones is because I'm fortunate to have TMNinjaGinga to be my beta! =)_**

**_All characters belong to the brilliant J. K. Rowling._**

* * *

**Chapter Three - Client Confidentiality**

Hermione couldn't help herself feeling a bit nervous as she made her way towards the Ministry Detention Center this sunny Monday morning.

This was going to be the first client that she would represent on her own. She still thought Kingsley Shacklebolt overreacted to the case. As she walked up the steps leading to the meeting room, she recalled her meeting with her department head the previous Friday.

"Hermione," Kingsley smiled warmly when she walked into his office, "Another job well done! I've read only great things in your evaluations. Your supervisors have all been speaking very highly of you."

"Thanks Kingsley." Hermione smiled back at the head of the Ministry's Legal Defense Department as she took her seat opposite the wizard, "I just finished filing away all the documentations on the cases I've worked on in the past few months. To be honest with you, I'm running out of work. Do you have anything exciting for me to do?"

She noticed a small frown crawling up between the wizard's brows as he sent an uneasy glance over a file on the side of his desk. Thoughtfully he looked back at her, "When was the last time you took a vacation Hermione? You've been working hard since you started here. Don't you think you could use some time off?"

"Oh I'm fine." Hermione answered politely. She didn't feel like she needed to take any breaks. And besides, she was saving up her vacation days, so that she could use them on her trip to Australia as soon as she could find a way to bring back her parents' memories. "I get bored easily. Working makes me happy." She smiled sweetly as she gestured at the file on Kingsley's desk, "Is that something I can help you with? I'm up for anything right now."

The wizard's frown deepened as he followed her gaze to the file. Slowly he moved it in front of him and considered it for a long moment. When he finally pushed the file towards her, she saw her own name on a sticky note on the cover of the file. "What's this? You've been planning on giving this to me?" She asked in disbelief.

"Yes." Kingsley answered with a sigh, "It actually came from the people above me. And they wanted this to be your first assignment on your own."

Hermione gasped in excitement upon hearing the information. "My first case on my own! Do you know how long I've been waiting for this to happen Kingsley! Thank you so much!" She couldn't contain her excitement and jumped up from her chair. Running around the wizard's desk she hugged him happily. "Thank you so much!" She said again. "You have no idea how excited I am right now!"

"You wouldn't thank me if you opened the file." Kingsley returned her hug gently and said in a quiet voice.

Slightly confused by his words, Hermione sat back down and began to review the file in front of her. A few moments later she looked back at Kingsley curiously, "This is an old case, isn't it? Why are we looking at it again?"

The wizard shrugged as he got up from behind his desk. Pacing in his office he began, "I don't really know why they are reopening this Hermione, just like I don't know why they specifically asked for you to work on the case. I apologize for holding it from you. But I thought I could find a way to make them to re-assign it, like telling them that you were not available."

"Why don't you want me to work on it?" Hermione's eyes widened in surprise.

"I sensed other motives for them to reopen this case." Kingsley answered, "And I don't want to see my brightest staff member getting tangled into a political war. You still can turn in your vacation request if you like." He stopped his pacing and looked back at Hermione searchingly.

Ignoring his suggestion Hermione began to read through the first few pages of the file. "It's been four weeks already since the case was opened. I thought two weeks is the maximum waiting period for our clients. What would happen to him if I don't take on this case?" She looked up at her department head.

"If you tell me you are going on vacation today, I will let them know right away that they will have to find someone else. It may take a couple more days, but I'm sure we can find someone before the trial. I will try my best and find someone who is experienced and capable, so that he will still have a chance." Kingsley answered plainly.

"Still have a chance?" Hermione raised her voice, "But he's innocent. We all know that. The Auror's Office went through his case already!"

"That's why I said there were other reasons for them to bring this up again." Quietly Kingsley walked towards the bookshelf and pulled out a piece of parchment. "Here is a vacation request form. Fill it out now and I'll approve it."

"No!" Hermione answered right away. "I'm not taking a vacation. I'm taking this case!"

Quickly she gathered up the file and made her way to the door. Just before she stepped out of his office she heard Kingsley's deep voice calling after her, "Hermione," he said, "Be careful."

* * *

Frowning slightly as she recalled Kingsley's warning, Hermione pushed open the door leading to the meeting room. Taking her seat by the table she pulled a file out of her leather briefcase. A line of small prints were neatly typed on the cover: Severus Snape.

Hermione hadn't seen her former Potions Master since the end of the war. She remembered visiting him at St. Mungo's with Harry. Ron didn't go with them on that day. Even though they had already learned the truth behind Snape's actions, the idea of facing Snape still managed to give Ron a stomachache right before they were leaving for the hospital. Hermione remembered how the professor looked at her severely with his deep dark eyes. After exchanging a few words, and making sure that the former Headmaster wasn't going to hex her best friend out of the window, Hermione excused herself and left Harry alone with Snape. Harry told her on their way back from the hospital that he had made amends with Snape, but also agreed that he would leave the wizard alone after his recovery. Hermione never saw Snape again after that day. Although she did think of him from time to time, wondering what kind of person he truly was, the idea of visiting him never occurred to her. One thing was for sure: she would never feel at ease when she was around Professor Snape.

She drew a deep breath and sat up straight as the door on the opposite wall slowly opened. Her eyes widened as she watched her client slowly enter the room. It felt awkward to see him out of his signature black coat. Dressed in a striped uniform, Severus Snape somehow looked older than Hermione had expected.

He froze at the door when his black eyes met her gaze. She suspected no one had told him about his assigned defense team, so was not surprised by his reaction. He probably never expected that his student from only three years ago would be making a case on his behalf. Trying to ease the tension, Hermione greeted him with a small smile, "Good morning Professor Snape."

He continued to stare at her for a few moments, his expression unreadable. Finally he asked, in a very strained voice, "What are you doing here?"

Hermione shrugged slightly and gestured at the chair on the opposite side of the table, "I'm here to do my job, Professor."

Taking the seat opposite her he never moved his gaze away from her. "To do your job..." He continued watching her intensely as she opened the file in front of her, "Just what exactly is your job, Miss Granger?"

"Oh... Sorry Professor. I apologize for not properly introducing myself." She answered politely. "I'm your assigned legal defense... for your upcoming trial."

He narrowed his eyes at her and considered her answer. Sitting back into his chair he began to stoke his chin with his pale long fingers. "Where is your supervisor, may I ask?"

"Supervisor?" She arched an eyebrow at him.

"And the rest of your team, of course." He added coolly.

"You are looking at it." Her smile softened as she looked back at him, "I'm assigned to lead the case. Well..." She shifted in her seat a little bit, "the truth is... We are a bit short-handed. The department lost quite a few defense attorneys during the war. There isn't going to be a team. So I guess I can't really say I'm 'leading' it, can't I?" She gave him an uneasy smile, "But don't you worry Professor. They specifically assigned the case to me. If they didn't feel comfortable..."

"They specifically assigned it to you?" He cut her off in mid-sentence, brows furrowed.

"Well yes." She held back the urge to roll her eyes in front of him. "And I do apologize for the delay. Kingsley overreacted and held the case back for a little bit before informing me about the assignment."

"And you didn't even think twice before taking the case." He said darkly.

"What is there to think about?" She frowned at him. "We all know the truth. It's just a matter of presenting it in front of the Wizengamot. It's not that complicated..." As she finished her words she began sorting through the paper in front of her, hoping to get her initial interview started soon.

"Not that complicated?" He leaned forward towards her and sneered. "You silly girl. This is a trap! Don't you understand? Whoever wanted you on the case has a different agenda. I don't need you on this case!"

"That's too bad Professor." She faked a smile at the man staring at her. "I've taken the case and I will work through it. Now if we can just get started Professor, we are already behind schedule..."

"The title of Professor is hardly appropriate anymore." He leaned back slightly and glanced down at her with a piercing glare, "Especially now that you won't hear a word of my recommendation..."

"You are not in the position to make such a recommendation." Hermione felt her patience wearing thin. "Fine, _Mr._ Snape. Let me make it clear to you. I am your defense lawyer and if you want to clear your name in front of the Wizengamot in two weeks, you will start working with me."

"But you are not a lawyer." He said pointedly.

"I'm... getting there... after getting the required hours of experience." She answered, "But that is not the point. I am here to defend your case and..."

"You are not qualified." He drawled.

"You..." She bit on her bottom lip and narrowed her eyes at the wizard in front of her. Why did he have to make her life so difficult? Taking a deep breath she tried to keep her anger at bay, "I have no obligation to present you with any evidence to prove my qualification. I am not here to discuss my experience. I need you to review these accusations and help me work out a plan."

"I don't need you to work out any plans, Miss Granger." He said coldly, before standing up abruptly from his seat. "Guard!" He called towards the door, "This meeting is over! Please escort Miss Granger out of here."

Hermione could feel herself shaking with rage. How dare he... how dare he treat her as if she was a first-year student in his class, as if she was the one being detained, and not him! Before she could react he suddenly leaned over the table and looked straight into her eyes. Slowly he spat out a sentence word by word, "You. Will. Stay. Away. From. This. Case."

No longer able to hold back her anger, Hermione slammed the file shut in front of her and got to her feet. Staring right back at Snape's deep dark eyes she said, "I will work on the case, no matter if you like it or not. It's up to you whether you want to cooperate with me. But I am telling you this, Severus Snape: in two weeks," She shoved the file at him, "I will prove your innocence in front of the Wizengamot, even if I'll have to hate you for the rest of my life!"

With that, she picked up her briefcase and called towards the door, "Guard! The meeting is over! Please escort _Mr. Snape_ back to his room. I will return at 9:30 tomorrow morning."

Without a backward glance she took long strides towards the door leading to the lobby. Just as she reached for the door however, she paused and thought for a brief moment. Dropping her head she took a few deep breaths, trying her best to control her anger. A moment later she reached into her handbag and turned to face him again. Slowly she walked back to the table and placed a small box in front of him. "I brought you some tea. I didn't think they'd provide those kinds of things here."

She didn't look up at him again as she made her way out of the meeting room for the second time. She was sure if she lingered a bit longer, he would make another snarly comment. And if that had happened, she wasn't sure if she could keep her hand from reaching for her wand and hexing him into oblivion.

Severus watched quietly as Hermione disappeared through the doorway. Closing his eyes he let out a sigh. He was completely caught off guard when he walked into the room and found her sitting at the table. He knew all along it was a political case. Getting her involved was last thing he wanted to happen. He became even further alarmed when she told him she was specifically assigned to his case. His concerns over her safety took over his rational thinking. What exactly was he thinking! He shook his head disapprovingly. He knew her. He should have known how the Gryffindor would react to a challenge. Telling her to stay away was the equivalent of pushing her further into the case. Was it too late? Was there anything he could do to save the situation?

Slowly Severus gathered up the file she forced into his hands, and picked up the small box of tea on the table, before following the guard back to his small studio.

* * *

Hermione returned to her flat that evening with a terrible headache. After storming out of the unfruitful meeting with Snape, she had spent the rest of the day reading through all of the accusations that had been brought against him. She started her own research, but quickly realized how daunting the task was going to be. Although completely lacking merit, the accusations covered a broad span of issues over a long period of time. From her experience working on a defense team, she had learned that her clients were usually the best resource for the information needed to defend a case. It would have been much easier for her to formulate her arguments if her client could actually cooperate.

Throwing her handbag on to her sofa Hermione kicked off her shoes and headed to the kitchen. She was too tired to cook, and was hoping there were still some leftovers in the fridge. As she walked past her study, her attention was caught by the warm glow radiating from the notebook on her desk. She frowned and quickly forgot about the leftovers. T had rarely initiated communications before. It was still early, way before the time for their evening communications. Why did he write her at this hour?

She opened the notebook curiously and found a few short sentences waiting for her:

_"Just thought I would write you first for a change. It's almost Christmas. Have you thought of any plans for the holiday?"_

Frowning at the words in front of her Hermione felt her heart skipped a beat. Why was he asking? Was he thinking about asking her out? Finally? With a trembling hand she picked up her quill and wrote back:

_"I haven't had a chance to think much about the holiday. My parents are not around and I wasn't planning on taking any time off. It's been busy at work. Why are you asking? How about you? Do you have any plans? I meant to ask you..."_

Her quill stopped in mid-sentence as she contemplated what she should say next. It's funny how she had thought about this moment for so long. But when the time actually came, the words simply couldn't come... A few moments later she made up her mind. Taking a deep breath she continued on with her message:

_"It's been years since we first started writing each other. I'd never push for it if you are not interested. But I guess if I don't ask the question now, I may someday regret not asking... Do you want to meet sometime? Perhaps over the holiday?"_

She turned the page and watched the words disappear. And then she sat there and waited. The next few minutes were painfully long as she kept her eyes fixed upon the blank page in front of her. And finally, small neat prints began to appear line by line.

_"I appreciate you asking Miss Granger. It is however not a good time to meet, at least not now. The reason why I asked is because Christmas is a festive time in many beautiful cities across Europe. I never heard you mentioning you traveling outside of Britain. I can guarantee that you would thoroughly enjoy the scenery if you spend a few weeks touring some of those amazing places."_

Hermione read the paragraph a few times before letting out a disappointed sigh. The only last bit of hope that was still staying with her was that it didn't seem like he paid much attention to her request. Perhaps if he would forget about her asking this time, she could ask again some other time. Trying her best to hide her disappointment, she wrote him a quick note back:

_"I'm sure the scenery is breathtaking. I'll keep that in mind, and will probably ask you for some recommendations next time when I'm ready to take a trip abroad. Right now however, I can't go anywhere. I was just assigned a challenging case. To say the least my client is not being cooperative. I'm going to have to work extra hard over the next few weeks."_

Closing the notebook she let the words disappear with the glow between the pages, and left for the kitchen for a bite to eat. It might be a good thing that she wouldn't meet her mysterious contact. After all, she couldn't let the thought of defending Severus Snape distract her meeting with the one man who had held her every fantasy for so long.

When she returned to her study later that night, she was surprised to see the warm glow again. The corner of her lips curled up into a smile as she realized that he had sent her another reply! This had to be one of the handful of times when he was so talkative. Quickly she opened the notebook, and couldn't held back a chuckle as she read his short questions:

_"Who is the miserable bastard? Is he really worth your time?"_

Sitting at her desk Hermione thought for a very long moment, before sending him an answer she considered appropriate. Unknowingly however, her short message would soon cost him his entire night of sleep.

_"__I have to maintain the duty of client confidentiality. Therefore even though _I think he very much deserves the title of a miserable bastard, I cannot tell you who he is. If I have to tell you one thing about this case however, that would be the fact that I do believe in his innocence and because of that, I do care about him, and will do whatever I can to bring back his freedom and rights."

* * *

_**What do you think will happen next with these two (or three)? Look forward to your reviews!**_


	4. A Change of Plans

**__****____****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****____****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__********_I appreciate your reviews and comments very very much. _****__****____****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****____****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__********_I have to admit that it was a pleasant surprise that you find the story such a mystery. It wasn't my original plan to write a suspense story. Oh well... there is no turning back now. It's going to take a little time for our hero and heroine to discover the culprit behind Severus' political case. The truth behind the power struggle, as well as the solutions for the conflict, may just be something completely unexpected. I hope you will enjoy the twists and turns. =)_**

**__****____****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****____****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__********_Thanks TMNinjaGinga for being my beta again! _**

**_All characters belong to the brilliant J. K. Rowling._**

* * *

**Chapter Four - A Change of Plans**

Severus wasn't sure what to think when the guard didn't come to take him to their meeting at 9:30 the following morning.

Why didn't she show up? Had she changed her mind about the case over night?

A part of him was relieved. It was, after all, what he wanted to see. Or was it? There was a small voice asking all kinds of questions inside his head. Hadn't he tried everything he could think of to convince her to drop out of the case? But then why was he feeling so terribly disappointed? Perhaps it was painful to finally realize just how much she truly cared about Severus Snape: nothing... absolutely nothing at all.

_There goes her promise to bring back "his freedom and rights"._ Severus grunted under his breath. She probably said those promising words to her pen pal because she was too proud to admit that it was a hopelessly complicated case, and that she had no interest in taking on a miserable bastard as a client.

Slowly Severus opened the box of tea that she left him the day before, and found an assortment of neatly arranged small silk bags filled with Darjeeling, Ceylon, and Assam leaves. At least she had the courtesy of considering the lack of accommodation in his current living arrangements. He let out a sigh as he picked out a small packet of Darjeeling. He made himself a cup of tea using the hot water provided through the drinking faucet in the kitchen sink. They had taken his wand of course, and there was nothing magical about getting hot water from a faucet. With the tea in his hand, Severus sat quietly by the window, feeling the bitterness slowly roll down his tongue and seep into his soul.

She wrote him again at the same time that evening, like she had always done. He sneered at her words as he read the small print in front of him:

_"Hello T, _

_How's your day? I had a busy one at work. You wouldn't believe how difficult it was to get a hold of Kingsley. Why does he have to go to so many meetings? What can you accomplish if all you do every day is attending endless meetings? Say if ideas were exchanged at a meeting, he wouldn't even have time to implement them! How inefficient is that! Wait... I shouldn't badmouth my boss. You are not Kingsley, are you? I'm almost positive that you are not him, because I actually looked into it a while ago. Kingsley didn't join the Order until after I received this notebook from Dumbledore. But if I was wrong, and you happen to be him, please don't be mad at me. Just yell at me in the morning and I'll get the hint._

_I saw Ron today. He was heading out to lunch with a witch from his department. I think she's the one he will be taking to the Quidditch game this weekend. She seemed nice. It's good to see him so happy again. He told me Molly wants me to go to the Burrow for Christmas. I'm not sure if I want to go. By the way, you never answered my question yesterday, what are your plans for the holiday?"_

Taking a deep breath Severus turned the page, hoping his bitterness would disappear with her words. How could she sound so pleasant, as if not meeting with her client did not bother her one bit? Picking up his quill he began his reply:

_"I had a rather disappointing day. I don't know why, really. I guess it was foolish of me not to be prepared for the inevitable. But that doesn't matter. I will get over it. I always do. _

_Sorry to hear that you had a busy day. How's your client? Did he give you a hard time again?_

_I haven't thought much about the holiday. It's still a few weeks away, isn't it?"_

He paused for a few moments before adding to the bottom of his message:

"_By the way, nice try, but I am not Kingsley. So if your boss does yell at you in the morning, it probably only means that he is not very satisfied with your performance."_

He turned the page and watched the soft glow taking his message away to her. It didn't take her long to write back to him:

_"I'm sorry that you were disappointed. You said it's inevitable. Things always happen for a reason. Maybe it's for the best that way? I wish there was something I could do to help you feel better. As for my client, he is probably going to make my life miserable for a while. I'm working on it though. I think I may be making some progress._

_You said you are not Kingsley. Do you mind if we start a guessing game? What do you think if we play twenty questions, you know, that popular American parlor game?"_

He frowned at her words. _Things always happen for a reason... for the best that way..._ Really? That's what she had to say about all this? And her comments about her client... She didn't even show up for their meeting. How could he make her life miserable if she didn't come to meet with him? Feeling anger rushing through his veins, Severus completely failed to see the humor in her last few questions. He slammed the notebook shut, and didn't write back to her again for the rest of the night.

The lack of sleep from the night before didn't do his insomnia any good. The cup of Darjeeling he'd had before going to bed probably didn't help either. Since the Detention Facility didn't offer the luxury of dreamless sleep potions, Severus was left tossing and turning all night long. As he lay wide awake in bed, he remembered all those messages they had written to each other throughout the years. Was it his imagination or did she really sound like she cared for him in those notes? Did she want to know his identity merely because of her uncontrollable curiosity, or was she really interested in getting to know the real him? What would she say if she discovered her mysterious contact was the same person as the "miserable bastard"?

Severus didn't get a moment of peace as he went through all those questions in his mind over and over again. When he finally fell asleep, he saw her.

She no longer looked like the school girl that he remembered from Hogwarts. She seemed taller. Or perhaps it was only because she stood taller. She turned and looked towards him, like she had when he saw her the day before in the meeting room. There was a small smile hiding behind her lips. Slowly she walked towards him, with a strange sparkle glistening in her eyes. The closer she walked towards him, the more obvious it was to him that she was now a young woman. _A_ _very attractive one, _he added inwardly. He could see her confidence in the way she carried herself. He could feel his body responding to the magic of her every movement. She simply looked breathtaking.

He watched her getting closer to him, but was soon troubled as he realized her eyes were glancing right over him, as if he did not exist. "May I have a word, please, Miss Granger?" He called after her as she walked past him. She didn't slow down, nor did she look back. His brows furrowed as he realized she was walking towards a wizard standing behind him in the shadows.

She continued to smile at the wizard in the shadows as she walked closer to him. The wizard leaned over and pulled her into a tight embrace. Watching from a distance, Severus felt his stomach churn. _Was he kissing her?_ Narrowing his eyes, Severus tried to get a closer look at the shadow that was holding her petite body. But the wizard continued hiding in the darkness, making it impossible for Severus to make out his face. Suddenly, the faceless wizard looked up towards Severus and said, in a velvet voice that could not be mistaken, "You can stop dreaming Snape. She has no interest in you. You mean nothing to her."

Severus felt his heart beating in his throat. Did he really just hear himself? How could that be? The floor suddenly opened up under his feet. He began to fall...

Severus woke up in a jolt. _Bloody brilliant,_ he thought to himself as he ran a hand through his greasy hair, _I will lose my mind long before I am greeted by a dementor. _

* * *

By the time a house elf popped into his room and took away the lunch that he barely touched, Severus was convinced that it was going to be another day of complete solitude. However, just before the afternoon slowly turned into evening, a guard surprised him by coming into his room, carrying a stack of clothes. On the very top of the stack was the black coat he was wearing the day he arrived.

"Please change and gather your belongings, Mr. Snape. I will be waiting for you outside your room. You are to be transferred."

When Severus followed the guard into the lobby he immediately saw her waiting by a large mural. Another young wizard was waiting next to her, his back facing them. His red hair however quickly gave away his kinship with the Weasleys.

Percy Weasley turned around and acknowledged his former professor politely without a word. As he exchanged a few pieces of paper with the guard, Hermione came to Severus' side. "You look better in black, Professor." She greeted him with a small smile.

"I told you to stay away from this case." He ignored her comment and said coldly.

"It's good to see you again too." She countered. Ignoring his piercing gaze, she turned her attention to Percy, who was now putting a few pieces of parchment into his folder.

"Finally, the last approval form…" The young wizard murmured without even looking up, "You owe me one Granger. I haven't been late to my mum's Wednesday dinner since the end of the war."

"You know it's not my fault that it took so long to gather all the signatures." She mumbled.

"But it _is_ your fault to insist that we do this today instead of tomorrow morning." Percy didn't back down.

"Would someone please explain to me why I need to listen to your bickering?" A cool voice reminded them of the existence of a very impatient Severus Snape. "And I am definitely not interested in attending any family dinner, if you were going to be kind enough to consider my preferences."

Hermione let out a small laugh as she glanced over at Percy. She seemed to be in such a good mood, not even a dementor would be able to take away her cheerfulness. "No worries Professor," She said happily, "There isn't a dinner invitation."

"Granger bought you a lot more time to prepare for the trial, Professor." Percy said to Severus as he led the way towards a line of fireplaces on the opposite side of the lobby. "She also managed to get you out of the Detention Center for the next few weeks. I have to say though, she scared quite a few of my colleagues in the process of completing the necessary procedures."

Severus cast a side-way glance at the witch walking by his side. She shrugged at Percy's comments. "The regulations are there for a reason. I was only pointing out the obvious laws we have to follow. It's hard to argue with the rules sometimes, don't you agree, Percy?"

The red-haired wizard let out a grunt and shook his head. "Ron has warned me about arguing with you Granger. At any rate, I really need to hurry. Can we just get this over with?"

Severus watched in amusement as Hermione strode past them with her head held high, as if she was a young general who just won her first battle. She threw a handful of floo powder into the fireplace, and murmured an address, before disappearing into the green flames. Percy followed suit and threw some floo powder into the fire place and called out an address that Severus did not recognize, "After you Professor." He gestured towards Severus.

When he stepped out of the fireplace with Percy Weasley, Severus found himself standing in the living-room of a small but fully furnished flat.

"Welcome to your temporary home, Professor." Percy murmured as he dug into his file one more time and fished out another piece of parchment. "Would you hurry and sign on the confirmation please Hermione. If I leave now I may still have a chance to avoid getting yelled at by my dear mother."

Muffling a snicker Hermione scribbled her name at the bottom of the document. As soon as her quill left the paper, the parchment quickly folded itself into the shape of a pointy airplane and dashed across the room. Flapping its little white wings, it quickly disappeared through the chimney. Percy nodded in satisfaction and turned towards the fireplace himself.

"Wait a minute Percy." Hermione called after him, "Haven't you forgotten something?"

The red-haired wizard slowly turned around and looked at Hermione with a frown. He stared at her for a short moment then said, "Ron would kill me if anything happens to you."

"But _nothing_ will happen to me." She glared at the young wizard, "And besides, you, of all people, should be the last one I need to remind that we have rules to follow. I signed the papers, so he gets to keep his wand."

Considering her words quietly Percy slowly reached into his chest pocket and pulled out the wand that belonged to Severus Snape. Handing it over to his former professor the young wizard said in a small voice, "Here is your wand Professor Snape. I... I didn't mean to be rude. It's just that she... I... No one should expect her to take on such responsibilities."

Without another word Percy Weasley let out a sigh, stepped back into the fireplace and disappeared in a whoosh.

Turning his complete attention back to the witch in front of him, Severus crossed his arms over his chest, "I demand a complete explanation, Miss Granger."

"I will explain everything over dinner if you can promise me one thing, Professor." She looked straight into his eyes.

"And what would that be?" He asked coolly.

"Stop being a prick." She narrowed her eyes. She broke into a small smile as she watched his offended reaction in amazement. "My flat is on the other end of the hallway. It was pure luck that I was able to find an available unit in this building." She said, "But I don't have anything left in my fridge. Why don't you make yourself comfortable while I go get some dinner? Maybe I'll just order something from the pub down the street. I will be back in about an hour."

Without waiting for an answer she marched across the living-room and disappeared through the front door, leaving a bemused Severus staring at the door closed behind her. What had just happened? How did the young witch manage to get him out of the Detention Center? What was he doing here instead of his own house? And what exactly was Weasley referring to when he said she should not be expected to take on such "responsibilities"? In order to find his answers, Severus might just have to control his temper and stop being "a prick".

* * *

_**Let me know what you think. =) **_


	5. Truce

**__****____****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****____****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__********_I love reading your reviews! Hearing from you makes writing even more enjoyable!_**

**__****____****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****____****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__********_Thanks TMNinjaGinga for being my beta! _**

**_All characters belong to the brilliant J. K. Rowling._**

* * *

**Chapter Five – Truce **

It was strange enough to think that her former professor was now a client. It was even stranger to realize that he would be living down the hall as a neighbor for the next few weeks. Hermione was so thoroughly distracted by her own thoughts that hearing her best friend's voice nearly made her jump.

"Hermione! Are you there?"

"Oh Ron, I'm here. Is everything alright?" She hurried to her living-room, just in time to see the red-haired wizard's face poking through the green flames.

"That's what I should be asking you! Is everything alright with you?" Ron wrinkled his nose and gave her a frown. "Percy said..."

"What?" Hermione was alarmed, "What did he tell you? He's not supposed to discuss client information outside of work! I can't talk to you about the case, at least not until I work out a plan to address public inquiries."

"Oh Hermione, would you please calm down?" Ron shook his head. "He didn't tell me anything about your client. You know Percy. Unless you prove it wrong first, nothing can make him break any rules. All he told me was that you personally bailed a client out. Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"I see... I'm sorry. Don't worry Ron. It's all fine. It's the right thing to do." Hermione assured her best friend. "What are you doing? Aren't you supposed to be having your Wednesday family dinner?" She changed the subject casually.

"Yes we are..." Ron shrugged and broke into a slightly embarrassed smile, "We just finished dinner. Mum is getting desert ready. She wants to add her final touches to her pudding. So I thought I would drop in and check on you."

"Thanks Ron. You really don't need to worry about me before desert." Hermione smiled at her best friend. She knew how much he loved his mum's pudding. "By the way, who was the witch you were going to lunch with when I ran into you on Tuesday? Is she the one you were telling me about last weekend?"

"Yes she is." Ron's ears turned slightly pink upon hearing the mention of his co-worker. "Her name is Amelia."

"Amelia seems like a nice girl!" Hermione couldn't help smirking at Ron's reaction, which reminded her of his silly behavior around veelas. "So are you two going to the game this weekend?"

"Probably not." Ron frowned, "We have to work overtime this weekend."

"Overtime?" Hermione raised her eyebrows, "Last time we talked about work you said you don't have much to do. What's changed?"

"Well it's all because of the scandals Rita Skeeter wrote about in the paper." Ron sounded annoyed.

"What scandals?" Hermione was confused.

"Don't you read the paper? You always read the paper." Ron was surprised.

"Of course I read the paper, except for anything written by that Skeeter witch. I'm so sick of her making personal gains from fabricating damaging stories about others. What is her poisonous quill writing about now? Who is her latest victim?" Hermione sat down in the sofa by the fireplace. She had a feeling this conversation was going to take a while.

"She wrote all sorts of crazy stories about people working for the Ministry, most of them current or former aurors. Oh you wouldn't believe the latest. Last week she wrote that McGonagall was having an affair with Rufus Scrimgeour right before he was murdered. In her story, McGonagall sounded like a power hungry attention seeking witch who had been trying to run Hogwarts and influence the Ministry since her day as a student in Dumbledore's classroom."

"Ewww! Scrimgeour? That's disgusting! And completely groundless." Hermione's jaw dropped. "Who is going to believe that rubbish?"

"Plenty of gullible people apparently!" Ron shook his head as he thought about the story. "McGonagall came and visited my mum the day after the article was published in the paper. She said she received more owls than you did after Skeeter wrote about your 'relationship' with Harry."

"I didn't know Scrimgeour had so many fans." Hermione's eyes widened.

"No! The hate mails were not from his fans. They were from concerned parents questioning the Headmistress' integrity! I have never seen that witch so angry in my entire life Hermione. I was so worried that she was going to murder that Skeeter woman." Ron frowned as he recalled the harsh words McGonagall had for Rita Skeeter when she talked to his mum in the kitchen over the weekend.

"Oh I don't blame her." Hermione felt terrible for her former Head of House as recalled the hate mail received when she was at Hogwarts. "I should write Minerva soon. That is really upsetting." She frowned at the information for a moment and asked, "So how do those stories have anything to do with your overtime this weekend?"

"Well that's kind of how all these got started. Because of all those crazy things they've been saying about the aurors in the paper, the Ministry felt it necessary to start some sort of 'housekeeping efforts'. They are making each of us fill out personalized questionnaires. I'm just glad that I haven't been with the Auror's Office very long, because my questionnaire is still manageable, only about three-feet long. Amelia on the other hand, is not so lucky."

"But she seemed so young!" Hermione raised her eyebrows, "How long has she been working for the Auror's Office? I thought she's about our age."

"She is." Ron sighed, "She actually started after me. She graduated from Beauxbatons just last summer. Her own questionnaire is not bad, even shorter than mine. But the problem is that she is also assigned to fill out the one for Tonks."

"Tonks?" Hermione couldn't believe her ears. "But Tonks is..."

"I know, dead." Ron scratched his head uneasily. "Apparently they want questionnaires done for a lot of us, alive or dead. Amelia had never met Tonks. So she almost went mental when she read that Tonks married a werewolf. I spent an entire afternoon explaining to her what kind of person Remus was. It was sad to have to go through all those things. But I'm going to help Amelia with her project. I guess helping her getting the right answers is the least I can do for Tonks and Remus."

There was a long pause of silence between the two friends. "That's very nice of you Ron." Hermione finally said. "I'm sure Andromeda and Teddy will appreciate what you're doing for Tonks and Remus. What did Harry say about all this?"

"Oh Harry is not going to like this." Ron shook his head, "I haven't talked to him about this yet. He's been really busy on this trip to Romania apparently. He has only sent Ginny four owls since he left over a month ago. I haven't heard from him. You know how it is… now that he has his fiancé, his best mate will just have to move down the totem pole. As soon as he gets back in the country though, he will have to come and deal with his own questionnaire, which is practically five-times longer than mine! It's understandable I suppose, because he was a lot more involved with the Auror's Office at the end of the war. I think his questionnaire is the longest, besides Kingsley's. Speaking of whom, if you need to talk to Kingsley about anything you may want to hurry up and do it in the next day or so. I saw the questionnaire for Kingsley in our office today. It filled up an entire trunk! He's supposed to come over to our office next week to work on it. He may have to stay in our office for a while to address all the details on each case he worked on as an auror before, during, and after the war."

"That sounds like a giant headache." Hermione frowned. "I think I prefer my project a lot better than yours now."

"I'm thinking anything is better than what we have to do." Ron grunted.

Remembering Ron's opinion about Snape, Hermione let out a small laugh. "I'm not sure about that."

Ron turned his head away from Hermione, as if someone was calling him from behind. "Sorry Hermione. Mum's calling. Pudding is ready. I've got to go. You will be careful alright? And let me know if you need any help."

"Don't you worry Ron. Enjoy your pudding!" Hermione smiled as the head of the red-haired wizard disappeared in the green flames.

Taking a deep breath Hermione gathered up the two chicken sandwiches she had bought from the pub down the street. She would have to process all the information that Ron just shared with her another time. She had a difficult client to have to deal with. With some luck, she might just be able to convince him to cooperate, and make her first case on her own a pleasant experience with a successful outcome.

As she headed out the door, she gave the Daily Prophet on the coffee table a quick glance. Maybe she'd have to go through all of Skeeter's stories after her dinner meeting with Snape. She would hate to think what kind of revolting stories she would have to read.

* * *

Severus watched in amusement as Hermione worked on her sandwich across the dinner table in the kitchen of his temporary flat.

"I suppose after all these years, you have finally picked up some of Mr. Weasley's table manners?" He glared at the witch and said coolly.

Hermione looked up and stared at him for a few moments before saying, "I wouldn't forget the request that I made about an hour ago if I were you, Professor Snape. Are you still interested in my explanations?"

Severus swallowed a jab that almost escaped his lips. He sulked in his seat as Hermione continued making progress with her dinner.

"Sorry Professor." She eventually gave him an apologetic smile between her bites, "I'm starving. I didn't have time to get lunch today. Don't you like to try your sandwich? I got them from the pub down the street. I've never eaten inside. But their sandwiches are always good for take-outs. I heard their bar is quite nice as well. You may like to check it out sometime."

He crossed his arms over his chest and continued to watch her impassively, "I don't have the appetite right now, Miss Granger. Should I prepare myself to wait until you finish your dessert before getting the information that you promised?"

"I didn't get any dessert." Hermione looked up at him and gave him a small smile. She dabbed the corner of her mouth as she finished the last bite of her sandwich. "I'm sorry for keeping you waiting. I guess that you agree to keep your end of the bargain then? Well, where should I begin... right, maybe I should start from you being terribly rude to me the day before yesterday."

"If you are expecting an apology..." He narrowed his eyes.

"No no no..." She wagged her finger at him as she drank from a tall glass of water. "Well that would be nice, too, of course, if you insist. But perhaps you can do that later."

Ignoring his piercing glare she continued, "What I was going to say was... after our meeting, I ended up spending the rest of the day researching your case, trying to find the evidence I'll need to form my arguments. I soon realized without your cooperation, there would be no way I can get the case ready in two weeks. I thought an extension might be the only way to save me from killing myself working twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. So yesterday morning I went to my office first before our scheduled meeting. I looked into the regulations on the preparation period set for an initial hearing. It says in the books that a defense lawyer is entitled to have at least three weeks to prepare for any given case. Since Kingsley held the case for so long, I have records proving that I didn't get to see it until last Friday. So instead of going to meet with you, I went to work on getting us an extension for the initial court hearing. When I was getting the paperwork done in Percy's office, he reminded me that Christmas holiday will start from the end of my requested three weeks. The court will not even be open until January. So without any extra work, I got us another two weeks! So now we have five weeks to prepare for the initial hearing."

"Or I shall say _I_ have five weeks thanks to your efforts, Miss Granger." Severus glared at the witch in front of him, "I never agreed that you should stay on the case."

Leaning forward towards the table between them, Hermione said, "Professor, I really would appreciate it if we don't go back to that argument again." Her voice was firm but sincere. "Both you and Kingsley seem to think that there are other reasons why I was specifically assigned with this case. Although I have no reason to question this assignment, I would like to know if there are other motives putting me on this case. You can call me selfish, but I believe helping you is probably the same as helping myself at this point."

Severus narrowed his eyes at the young witch in front of him. Her reasoning was logical. Her determination was impressive. And a part of him was smiling inside, knowing that she still cared about his case.

"What did Weasley mean when he said no one expected you to take on 'such' responsibilities, Miss Granger? What kind of responsibilities did you assume?" He decided to drop the request for her to stay out of his case, at least for now.

"When I was looking into extending the waiting period, I also reviewed the procedures they followed in making your initial arrest. They should have offered you the opportunity to contact a friend to set up a bail." She gathered up the dishes and with a wave of her wand, they were cleaned and put away in the cupboard.

"They might have mentioned it," He took a deep breath and leaned back into his seat, "I honestly cannot recall. But even if they did I probably wouldn't have anyone to ask for this kind of help. The bail is usually set at quite a large sum of money, isn't it?" He realized what she was telling him and he frowned, "Did you submit a bail? Where did you get the money?"

"I don't have the money." She returned to the table and gave him a small smile. "I don't think I know anyone with that kind of wealth either. So I took out a bail bond using my credit."

Severus studied the witch in front of him in disbelief. He was not surprised to know that she looked into the relevant laws and got him extended time to prepare for the trial. However, he did not expect her to personally take on the liability to submit a bail on his behalf. She didn't even know him that well, other than knowing him as an unfair professor and a double agent in the war.

"I hope it is not a habit of yours to always bail your clients out using your own credit, Miss Granger." He asked in his cool voice.

"I can hardly call it a habit." She let out a small chuckle, "After all, you are my first real client." Her smile turned into a wide grin as she watched his frown deepen upon hearing her response. "I was just joking Professor. No, I don't think that would ever become a habit. I considered your situation very carefully before signing on the dotted line. I do believe that you are innocent. And after all these years, after knowing what you have done for all of us during the war, I can honestly say that I do trust you."

"If you trust me, why am I here, and not back at my house?" He arched an eyebrow.

"That's really not my choice Professor." Hermione said apologetically, "As the guarantor of the bond, I have to take responsibility of your physical whereabouts. They actually prefer that you stay at my place, which I don't think would work out very well. Luckily, this unit has been up for rent for at least a couple of weeks. So when I called the landlord he offered it to me."

"Yet you didn't even bother setting up a surveillance charm and a tracking spell before handing me back my wand." Severus pointed out his observation and snarled, "What made you think I wouldn't disapprate in front of your very eyes?"

"Like I told you Professor," She shrugged slightly, "I trust you…"

Their gaze locked for a long moment, as he took in the sincerity in her soft brown eyes. After a moment of silence she spoke again, "You can say that I don't know you well enough, Professor Snape. And I won't argue that you are not right about that. But I know that it is wrong of them to bring these accusations against you. I was very upset when you insisted that I stay away from the case. But when I recalled our conversation last night, I sensed the reason behind you pushing me away had something to do with the political ramifications of the case. You are trying to protect me, aren't you?"

He was taken aback by her words. Sitting back in his chair he studied the young witch in front of him. She did it again, just like how she doubted his motivation when she wrote to her secret contact after he killed Dumbledore. How did she do this? How did she always manage to see beyond his covering acts? How did she understand him so well?

Not getting an answer from her former professor, Hermione went on again, "Please Professor Snape. I'm asking you to please consider working with me on this case. You know you can use my help to pull a solid argument in front of the Wizengamot. And like I said earlier, I need to find out who wants me in this if this is indeed a trap. If you can help me understand the motives behind their charges, I will have a better chance finding the truth. You don't have to deal with me again when this is over. I won't bother you if you want to be left alone. What do you think?"

His deep dark eyes narrowed at her before he asked, in his cool velvet voice, "You are asking for a truce?"

"Yes Professor." Hermione held her breath, "A truce."

It took him another moment to consider her words. And finally he nodded curtly, "Your request is granted."

Hermione let out a sigh of relief and smiled brightly at her client. "Thank you Professor. I appreciate it. I will start bringing you my research papers and…"

"With one exception." He suddenly cut her off, "I will reserve the right to refuse your service at any time."

Her smile froze upon hearing his words. She bit on her bottom lip as she studied the wizard in front of her. A long moment later she got up from the table, "I should go now. I'll come back in the morning." She glanced at her wristwatch and let out a small yelp, "Oh no, it's late. I'm keeping him waiting."

"You are meeting someone, Miss Granger?" Severus arched an eyebrow. He watched in amazement as a blush slowly invaded her cheeks.

"Uh… yes." She murmured as she picked up her handbag.

"At this hour?" He pressed on.

Her blush deepened but she didn't answer. Quickly she whispered a "good evening" before hurried out the door.

Severus stood quietly as he watched the door closed behind her. Their conversation slowly replayed itself in his head. This had been the closest thing to a normal face-to-face conversation he had had with her since she left Hogwarts as a student. He wondered if he was right about the person she was so eager to meet.

Slowly he walked up to his desk and pulled out the black leather-bound journal from the drawer. As he placed it on the desk, a warm glow between the pages announced her greeting.

"Of course, Miss Granger," He murmured to himself, "You would never keep _him_ waiting."

* * *

**_I sense some serious jealousy from Severus. Don't you? =) Quite a few hints have been left in this chapter regarding the political environment. Can you tell what's really happening?_**


	6. Another Incentive

**__****____****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****____****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__********_Thank you for following the story and I appreciate your reviews! The following is a slightly longer chapter, just so that we can be prepared for what's to come..._**

**__****____****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****____****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__********_Thanks TMNinjaGinga for being my beta!_**

**_All characters belong to the brilliant J. K. Rowling._**

* * *

**Chapter Six - Another Incentive**

Hermione ran towards her flat as soon as she got out of Snape's unit. She didn't look back as she heard the door shut behind her. All she could think, was that it had past the usual time that she would normally open her notebook and write to T. Was he still upset with her after the previous night? Would he write her a message first?

She remembered how disappointed she was only twenty-four hours ago, when T did not return her note after she asked if he wanted to play the guessing game. She took it as a hint that the wizard was either offended by her suggestion, or annoyed by her constant pursuit of his true identity.

**The Previous Night...**

After waiting at her desk for another hour, Hermione finally gave up on the hope that T would reply to her questions. She ended up spending the rest of the night lying in bed, staring at the ceiling as she recalled her communications with T throughout the years. The more she thought about the messages that they had exchanged the more certain she was that he indeed cared about her as much as she cared about him.

She clearly remembered the messages he had left her right after the narrow escape with Harry and Ron from Malfoy Manor with the help of Dobby. Weak from Bellatrix Lestrange's Cruciatus Curse, Hermione wasn't able to get out of bed for three days. When she finally got up in the morning on the fourth day, she found a string of messages in the notebook from a very concerned T:

_"I have not received a message from you tonight. I hope you have a good reason not writing at the regular time. Please provide me with a report on your status as soon as you can."_

_"It's past mid-night. Is everything alright? Let me know what has happened."_

_"I still have not heard from you. I hope you three found a way to resolve whatever problem you have encountered. I will be waiting for your reply. Write back to me as soon as possible."_

_"Do you need any help? Why haven't you replied to my previous messages? Damn Dumbledore... he should have embedded a location tracking charm in the notebook. Write back."_

The next message appeared to have been sent to her the day after Hermione arrived at the shell cottage:

_"I was informed about your getaway from Malfoy Manor. Were any of you injured? I received conflicted information about your condition. Let me know how I can assist you."_

Before Hermione was well enough to write back, T wrote her again:

_"I sincerely hope that the reason why you have not replied to my messages is because you are being forced to bed rest and are making good progress with your recovery. The Cruciatus Curse can cause permanent injury. How long were you exposed to the curse? Are you experiencing any difficulties in speaking or writing? If you can read this message please write back to me. I would appreciate any signs that would indicate your current condition."_

When Hermione first saw the messages, she had thought that T was concerned about Harry's safety. As she read on however, she realized his concerns were more towards her than anyone else. When she was finally able to write him a short message after three days of recovery, T wrote back immediately, as if he was waiting by the notebook the entire time:

_"Good."_ He wrote,_ "You had me worried. Make sure you have plenty of rest before plotting the next step with Potter and Weasley. And as always, please stay safe."_

It took another cup of chamomile tea before Hermione could finally put away those bittersweet war time memories. As she finally drifted to sleep, she heard herself whispering, "Do you have any idea how much you mean to me? Why won't you tell me who you are? Do you not love me at all?"

**Back to the Present...**

Hermione didn't waste a minute as soon as she walked in the door. She walked straight to her study and sat down at her desk. To her slight disappointment, there wasn't a message from him waiting in the notebook. With her brows furrowed she sent him a short greeting. She watched the pages closely and held her breath. A moment later, she let out a relieved sigh as a warm glow appeared between the pages.

_"Good to hear from you Hermione. I'm sure you had a good reason to be late. Thanks for asking. I had a pleasant evening." _T wrote in his message. _"I made a mistake yesterday - underestimating someone. I have to admit, I have never been this pleased to realize that I was indeed, wrong."_

If this was the night before, Hermione was sure she would press on and ask what made him so happy and who it was he had underestimated. However after the cold shoulder she experienced after pushing for the wizard's identity, she had decided to hold her tongue, and change the subject.

_"I am very excited to see my client agreeing to be cooperative. Interestingly enough, both he and Kingsley seem to think that this is a political case. I will be careful of course. But I honestly think they are just overreacting. I don't see how they could draw such a conclusion."_ She wrote.

_"The best way to understand their comments is probably asking them for their reasoning. It is not unreasonable for them to draw such a conclusion since they probably both have more experience dealing with the Ministry than you do. It may be wise for you to be more open to their opinions. If you could put down your pride and admit that you could use some advice from them, I suspect at least one of them would be willing to share with you their observations." _He replied.

He also seemed taken aback when she asked if he knew about the questionnaires that the aurors have to complete.

_"That sounds alarming. This kind of systematic inquiry almost sounds like the prelude to a bigger political movement." _He commented in his message, _"If your friend Ron is right about this being caused by Skeeter's articles, you may want to get a better understanding of the motives behind her writing those stories. Is money her only concern? Or did she write the stories under someone's instructions?"_

The last part of T's message was the reason why Hermione stayed up late again. She had never read any of Rita Skeeter's stories with this much attention before. For each of the stories, Hermione began to write down detailed notes on the aurors involved in the scandals, as well as the other individuals connected with these aurors. She also started a time line, trying to piece together a shared history of the aurors in Skeeter's stories, hoping to find a reason why they deserved the attention of the witch's poisonous quill.

The overtime Hermione spent reading the Skeeter articles did not help her productivity on the following day. She woke up feeling completely exhausted. After making herself a strong cup of coffee, she walked down the hall and knocked on the door that led to Severus Snape's temporary flat.

"Good morning Miss Granger." He greeted her coolly.

Hermione wasn't sure if it was her imagination, the early morning fresh air, or the scent of Darjeeling coming from Snape's small kitchen, but she almost thought she saw him smile when he opened his door. But when she looked up carefully again at him, his smile had already vanished.

As the day went by, it had become apparent to Hermione that Snape was in a very good mood. Not once did he threaten to "refuse" her "service". He was almost _reasonable _as they went through all of the accusations brought against him, and only made one snarly comment when she tried to cover a yawn with her hand by mid-morning.

"What a shame Miss Granger, that you are no longer a student in my class." His velvet voice still had the exact intimidating effect as it did to her when she was in his potions class. "If there is one thing that I miss from no longer teaching at Hogwarts, it's taking a good ten points from the Gryffindors, and awarding a week-long detention to one of Minerva's favorite students."

Taking a deep breath Hermione carefully looked up at the wizard who was her client and her former potions master, expecting to see those piercing dark eyes pouring down at her. To her great surprise, she only found Snape looking at her in amusement. He almost looked friendly.

"Stayed up late last night, Miss Granger?" The corner of Severus' lips slowly curled up into a small smile.

"I'm sorry sir. Yes..." After a brief pause Hermione looked back up at the wizard, "Professor Snape, I guess I might be a bit naive about politics. I would appreciate it if you could share with me your concerns. What made you think there were other reasons why I was assigned this case? Why did you say this was a trap?"

Severus gave the young witch a good long look before getting up from the table. Slowly he began to pace the room and said, "You are indeed naive about politics. But I wouldn't say that is entirely your fault. After all, this kind of experience is not something you can learn from reading a book.

"The war only ended slightly over a year ago. While everyone seems to be focusing on rebuilding our world, not many are paying much attention to our new government. I haven't seen a clear structure of the new Ministry. All of the departments seem to be struggling to fix what was damaged, and have not been able to work together under a common leadership. That has been very concerning to me.

"My case has only recently been investigated by the Auror's Office. It was considered a high profile case with many high profile witnesses - Potter being one of them. No one has questioned the words of the boy-who-lived since we established the fact that he did not lie about the Dark Lord's return. My case being re-opened by a different department in the Ministry was what first drew my attention to the strangeness of the situation. I sense that they were either trying to question the credibility of the witnesses or the individuals involved in acquitting me.

"I was well aware of the fact that they had arrested me without the general public's knowledge. They could have easily sent me to Azkaban without a trial if all they wanted was personal revenge. On the other hand, if they truly wanted a fair trial, they would have assigned a qualified... no offence Miss Granger... but when I say qualified I mean someone who has plenty of experience dealing with such sensitive cases, to be my defense lawyer. At the very least, they should have allowed your department head to decide who would be best fitted to serve as my defense team. They didn't however. That's why Shacklebolt is alarmed. Because of the nature of my case, and this unfitting assignment for you, it is obvious to me that having you involved is a trap set up for you; not for me, but for you." Severus pressed his lips tight together as he finished his thought process.

"That sounds outrageous." Hermione frowned at Snape's theory. "But let's just say, for argument's sake, that you and Kingsley are correct, and that this is indeed a trap for me. What good does it do? Unless this is for personal reasons, I really don't understand why anyone would want to target me."

"That is something I am still trying to figure out myself." Severus stroked his chin with his long pale fingers. "There is one thing to keep in mind, Miss Granger. When it comes to political cases, there are usually more complicated motives behind the sabotage of the supposed target's reputation or well-being. We need to look beyond these charges if we want to find the answer. But of course, I agree with your plan, as I see going through the accusations as a logical place to start."

When Hermione thought about her conversation with her former potions master later that day, she couldn't help noticing how he sounded approving with her plans, and how he started using "we" when he talked. Smiling to herself, she decided that was another good sign. Nothing would be more helpful than a cooperative client.

They spent the rest of the day sorting through the notes Hermione took from her initial research, as well as the documents she requested from the Auror's Office during their investigation the previous year. Hermione quickly realized when Snape was not trying to look for excuses to give her a hard time, he could actually be a very effective partner.

Working through lunch and dinner, they finally finished reviewing all of the accusations.

"Very interesting..." Severus frowned at the papers in front of them, "Did you notice that they didn't bring up the entire case this time? It seems to me that whoever wanted to reopen this case wanted only to focus on some specific events."

"If this has anything to do with a bigger target, that target must be involved in these events!" Hermione's eyes brightened up as she realized where Snape was leading.

"I see the insufferable know-it-all hasn't changed much since her years in Hogwarts." Snape arched an eyebrow as he looked back at Hermione.

"I hardly know anything, Professor Snape." Hermione let out a chuckle, "I'm only thinking along the lines of your analysis. But really," She rubbed her eyes, trying to drive away the exhaustion, "I can't think much anymore. Can we take a break?"

Severus gave Hermione a curious look before walking into his kitchen. "I don't have much to offer you Miss Granger, other than the tea you brought me a few days ago."

"Oh no that would not be good." Hermione groaned, "Those are all too strong. I really need to sleep tonight."

"Too strong…" Severus murmured. "Now you tell me…"

"I'm so sorry." Hermione's eyes widened, "Did the tea keep you up?" She thought for a moment before asking in a small voice, "Would you like to come over to my place for some chamomile tea? It helps me sleep better."

It was a slightly awkward moment as Hermione waited for a reply from the wizard. After what seemed like a careful consideration, Snape said, "I suppose that wouldn't hurt."

* * *

Severus could not remember the last time he visited a young woman's home. True, he had visited Minerva plenty of times when they were colleagues and neighbors living in the castle. But one could hardly call Minerva a young woman, he chuckled inwardly.

As he followed Hermione into her flat, the first thing that caught his eye was a small Christmas tree decorated with lights and tinsel on a small shelf by the window. Not far from the Christmas tree was a large painting of Hogwarts hanging on the wall. The painting was not the kind of traditional portrait that he was used to seeing at places like Malfoy Manor or Grimmauld Place. Instead, the painting looked rather modern, with the appearance of a photograph rather than an oil painting. It was night in the painting, with a sliver of moon hanging by the tip of the astronomy tower. Severus suspected the painting was enchanted to mirror the time of the day. His suspicion of the painting's magical qualities was quickly confirmed when he noticed two owls sailing across the darkening sky.

"It'll just take me a minute." Hermione said as she made her way to the kitchen. "Make yourself home." She frowned at her own words. _What made her say that? Did she really just ask Snape to make himself home? There had to be other ways to offer the polite gesture. _Shaking her head slightly, she proceeded to put the tea kettle on the stove.

Severus wandered on into her study, where the young witch kept several photographs of her friends. Severus frowned in annoyance as a very excited Harry Potter waved at him from one of the pictures on her bookshelf. Next to a picture of Harry, Ron, and Hermione, Severus found a few muggle pictures of a much younger version of Hermione and an older couple, who he guessed had to be her parents. Severus was aware of the fact that Hermione did not have any siblings. From the way her parents cuddled next to the young girl in the pictures and their bright smile towards the camera, Severus could tell Hermione meant the world to her parents.

"Merlin's beard!" Hermione suddenly let out a yelp from the kitchen. "When did you come in here T? You scared me!"

Not believing his own ears, Severus hurried to the kitchen, only to find a large black cat on the countertop, with its tail held high, nudging Hermione with its fluffy head.

"What did you say, Miss Granger?" He asked.

"Oh I'm sorry. I didn't mean to alarm you. I was just startled by my neighborhood cat. I call him T. He is actually very friendly. It's just that I never knew when he will show up. And he is always so quiet around me, until he jumps up next to me I don't know he's there. I should probably find his owner and offer a bell for his collar…"

"T? I thought your cat's name was Crookshanks." Severus frowned, not realizing what he said.

"Crookshanks ran away during the chaos at Bill's wedding. I haven't seen him since." Hermione sighed; a frown suddenly appeared between her brows, "How do you know my cat's name is Crookshanks?"

Blinking a couple times at the young witch Severus answered coolly, "You should know by now how your Head of House thought of you three. Minerva talked about you three like children of her own. The name of your cat must have escaped her at least once or twice."

"Oh…" Hermione thought for a moment, not sure what to make of the information. She couldn't remember when she had talked to Minerva about her pet.

"You said the cat often shows up unannounced?" Severus changed the topic by bringing up a question, "How do you know he is not an animagus?" He frowned at the cat, who was now staring at Snape with his golden eyes.

"Not to worry Professor Snape." Hermione smiled at the cat as she reached for the tea pot and the cups. "I thought about that, quite a few times. It's amazing that he knows how to push open my window and visit me when I'm home alone, often when I needed some company. For a while I thought he was someone I knew. But after trying the Homorphus Charm several times on him, I can guarantee you he is nothing more than a beautiful, but ordinary cat."

Severus watched quietly as Hermione set a small dish of milk down on the kitchen floor for the cat named T. He was glad that Hermione was no longer questioning how he came to the knowledge of her pet cat's name. What was more intriguing to him however, was that she had named the friendly cat T.

He followed her wordlessly into her study as she set the tea set on a small table by her sofa. Walking up to her desk he immediately recognized the notebook that looked exactly the same as his.

"This is my favorite chamomile, Professor." Hermione asked him, "Would you like some sugar or honey?"

"Straight is fine." He answered, and turned to take a cup of the warm liquid from her. When he turned back towards her desk with the cup in his hand, he noticed the notebook had disappeared.

"A good friend of mine recommended that I research Rita Skeeter's stories." Hermione pointed to some newspaper clippings on her desk. "I think there are some links among the stories that she has written. I need a little more time to process them though."

"A good friend of yours… is that so?" Severus seemed amused by the information. "That's a reasonable angle." he nodded in agreement, "I am intrigued to know what you can learn from her stories."

Glancing over the pile of newspaper, Severus noticed several books on advanced Memory Charms. "Memory Charms." He arched an eyebrow at the witch, "Is this also a research project?"

"Uh…" Hermione opened her mouth but hesitated. A long moment later she said, "Yes. I was hoping to find a way to undo a Memory Charm."

Looking at the witch curiously Severus sat down in the sofa opposite her. "Do you mind explaining the purpose for the research?" When he noticed her hesitation he added, "I may be able to offer some assistance."

Hermione's eyes widened at his words. After months of research, she had almost given up hope of finding a solution. Biting on her bottom lip she shifted in her seat uncomfortably. Finally she asked, "Professor Snape, what are your opinions about using Memory Charms to protect the innocent?"

Severus deep dark eyes locked upon Hermione for a long moment before he answered in his cool velvet voice, "It is an admirable act to protect anyone from the Dark Lord during the war. Certain things may be better if forgotten. Depending on the circumstance when the Memory Charms were cast, it may not be as evil as it is commonly considered."

Hermione let out a shaky sigh as she frowned at her cup of tea. After a long pause she said, "I cast a Memory Charm on my parents at the beginning of the war. Now they don't even remember that I ever existed. I want to bring them back."

Severus sat quietly as he listened. He didn't say a word in reply. Instead, he simply gave Hermione a small nod, encouraging her to go on.

"I have tried everything Professor: potions, spells, charms. But nothing seems to have even the slightest chance of having the qualities needed to counter a Memory Charm. Although a few Order members knew that I had sent my parents to safety at the beginning of the war, no one, other than Harry and Ron, knew about the Memory Charm that I used. After the war, I saw how the new Ministry dealt with witches and wizards who had used magic on muggles, and I knew they would not understand. So for all this time, I haven't been able to talk to anyone about my research. Ron and Harry tried to encourage me, but other than that they have not been helpful. To be honest with you, Professor, I am at a point where I am about to give up. Do you know a way to undo it?" Hermione looked up at Severus tentatively.

Severus examined the young witch in front of him and thought for a long moment, and decided not to comment on her use of the Memory Charm without fully considering the consequences. Setting the tea cup down at the small table he asked her, "Have you had a chance to study Legilimency?"

Hermione's eyes narrowed as she considered his words. Her jaw dropped as she suddenly realized what he was implying. "Of course! Are you saying that by entering someone's mind through legilimency, the lost memory can be brought back?"

"I see that your chamomile tea did not put your mind to sleep." The corners of Severus' lips turned up into a small smile. "Yes indeed. Memory Charms do not simply erase one's memory. Instead, the charms lock away the targeted memories deep into one's mind. It is different from occlumency, in which case the occlument has the control over how to hide certain memories. In the case of a Memory Charm, one's memory is altered by an outside force. And therefore, can only be repaired by an outside force, through legilimency."

"Why was this treatment not mentioned in any of the books?" Hermione was beyond excited, and couldn't believe how she could have missed the logical solution.

"Not everything is written in books, Miss Granger," Severus answered impassively. "Or should I say, is written in the books that are considered appropriate for ordinary research." A smirk slowly spread across his face. "Since memory charms are not a magic to be encouraged, their solution, naturally, has never been published widely."

"That makes complete sense! Thank you Professor!" Hermione jumped up from her seat and began to pace the room. She twisted her fingers together nervously as she considered the new knowledge. A moment later she stopped in front of Snape and asked, "Can you teach me Legilimency, Professor Snape? Please?"

Severus' heart sank as he looked back at her eager face. If there was one thing he had not mentioned to her regarding his case, it would be the fact that he didn't think it was a defendable case. The power behind the accusation seemed to be too much for a young witch to fight. Legilimency was not some magical theory that could be learned quickly. If he were to teach her before him being sent to Azkaban, he would need to start soon. "When would you like to start Miss Granger?" He took a deep breath and asked quietly, "Tomorrow?"

"No, of course not!" She let out a chuckle, "You've got to get your priorities straight. We will focus on your case first. We can start as soon as we have your name cleared, if you don't mind."

Severus didn't know what to say as he stared at her beautiful smile. "What if… we lose the case?" He finally asked coolly.

"We won't!" She continued to smile at him brightly, "This just gives me another incentive to work harder. I will help you fight them, Professor Snape! We will win the case!"

Frowning slightly at the excited young witch Severus was at a loss for words. He might just have to think of another way to make sure she got the help she needed. Because somehow, Severus did not think there would be much a future for him, or anything else that he had begun dreaming of over the past few years.

* * *

_**I would love to see your review again. I'm working on a Christmas present for you. Hopefully we will have the next chapter up right in time! =)**_


	7. A Near Revelation

**__****____****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****____****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__****__********_Thanks TMNinjaGinga for being my beta! Without her speedy review I wouldn't have this ready for you in time for Christmas!_**

**_All characters belong to the brilliant J. K. Rowling._**

* * *

**Chapter Seven - A Near Revelation**

_It was a mistake to come to the Burrow._ The thought was constantly running through Hermione's mind two hours into the Weasley's Christmas party.

It was a typical Christmas gathering for the Weasley clan. The entire family and a few close friends all arrived at the Burrow around mid-day on the day before Christmas. Gifts had been piled up under the tree in the living-room. Ron, Harry, and the rest of the Weasley men joined Arthur outside the house to finish up some final touches of the Christmas decorations. The women gathered in the kitchen, chatting quietly among themselves while trying to follow Molly's directions and help with the preparation for Christmas Eve dinner and Christmas day brunch.

Ginny was excited to see Hermione. Although she had recently started working at the Ministry, she rarely had the opportunity to talk to her girlfriend about her upcoming wedding. Hermione was always so busy that Ginny felt bad taking up any of her time at work. Today however, was much different. As far as Ginny was concerned, there was nothing that should distract Hermione from listening to the entirety of her wedding plans - from the gown to the seating chart to the party favors. Unfortunately for her, Hermione was actually more interested in getting a chance to talk to Harry than offering a girlfriend's opinion on a wedding.

**Three Days Ago...**

Harry had just returned from his out-of-country assignment. Exactly as Ron had predicted, Harry was not happy with the lengthy questionnaire waiting for him in his office. He expressed his frustration when he flooed Hermione one evening before he headed home from his office.

"Hermione, Are you home?" The young wizard popped his head through the green flames.

"Harry, you're back!" It was already past nine o'clock. Hermione had just returned from Snape's flat after a long day of research and discussion. "Where are you? Are you with Ginny?" She asked.

"No." Harry frowned in annoyance, "I'm just getting ready to leave my office. It really sucks... The paperwork I need to finish from my trip is already more than I can handle. I haven't even looked at that bloody questionnaire yet. I guess I will just have to pull a few all-nighters and suffer through it. But the reason I'm flooing you is because I want to ask you something." The young wizard thought for a brief moment before continuing, "I heard from Ron about you bailing out a high-profile client. It's Snape, isn't it?"

Hermione's eyes widened in surprise, "H... How do you know?"

"I guessed it." Harry sighed. "There is something going on at the top level of the Ministry. I've learned the aurors are not the only ones being inquired. Many key individuals involved in the war have been under investigation. I was worried about Snape, so I flooed him yesterday but he wasn't home. I tried again today and no one was there. I don't see him as someone that travels a lot. So I put two and two together..."

"Well, I guess you beat me to it. I was just about to contact you." Hermione gave her friend a small smile. "Professor Snape and I have finished working out a defense plan. Although he doesn't think it'll convince the Wizengamot, I am not as worried. I was going to start contacting witnesses after Christmas. You are, of course, on the top of the list."

"That sounds good. Let me know what you need me to do." Harry nodded as he turned his head away as if trying to talk to someone. "I have to go. Ron's been waiting for me. Say hello to Snape for me... er... only if he is not too grumpy. I'll see you at the Burrow in a few days."

The young wizard didn't wait for Hermione's answer before disappearing into the green flames.

Staring at the fireplace for the longest time, Hermione wondered what made Harry say that there was something going on at the top level of the Ministry.

**Back to the Present...**

Hermione was hoping to talk to Harry as soon as she arrived at the Burrow. But of course, she had no such luck. She didn't have the heart to stop Ginny from going through her entire wedding plan in detail. But more annoyingly, Molly had been hovering over her the minute she stepped into the garden gate. The reason behind the older witch's extra attention soon became apparent to Hermione: Ron had invited Amelia to the gathering.

Amelia was obviously feeling out of place when Ron left her in the kitchen to join his brothers. Other than a polite smile here and there, Molly and Ginny simply left the young witch standing alone by the kitchen counter. Hermione wanted to talk to Amelia, but Ginny's wedding plan was filling her ears. Fortunately Amelia knew Fleur from Beauxbatons; and Fleur was able to introduce Amelia to a couple of other witches in the kitchen. One of them was a colleague of Fleur's, who was not heading back to France for the holidays this year. Two of them worked at George's store. Ginny had commented behind the two witches' back that George had invited both of them because he fancied the younger one.

At first Hermione didn't think Molly and Ginny were ignoring their guest intentionally. However, when Molly went through the trouble of calling Ron back into the house to help Hermione with moving a couple of boxes out of the kitchen, Hermione suddenly realized, Molly was still holding out hope that Ron would get together with her.

Hermione felt worse and worse as the time went by. Molly continued to address Hermione as if she was Ron's girlfriend. Seeing the frown between Ron's brows and the disappointment in Amelia's face, Hermione decided it was better if she found an excuse and left.

"It's been so nice to see you Molly, and everyone else too! I'm so glad I came." Hermione came to Molly's side and said cheerfully. "I'm sorry that I didn't mention earlier, but I'm not going to be able to stay."

"Why Hermione? Where are you going?" Molly asked in surprise.

"Oh..." Hermione smiled sweetly and said, "I... uh... I have a date later this afternoon."

"A date?" Molly frowned and glanced over at Ron disapprovingly. "I didn't know you are seeing... _anyone_."

"Oh I just recently started going out with this... uh... wizard I met." Hermione lied. "And we were going to have dinner together and spend some time at my place for Christmas Eve."

"Is that so..." Molly's frown deepened. "Do we know this young man?"

"Uh... I'm not sure." Hermione bit her bottom lip. "We just started dating, you know... I'll be sure to introduce him to you if he turns out to... uh... be the right one."

"That's too bad you can't stay Hermione." Molly exclaimed with a disappointed sigh. "You can always come back to the Burrow if things don't... work out, alright?" She gave Hermione a hug before calling towards Ron irritably, "Ronald, bring Hermione's coat. She is _leaving_! She has to go meet her _date_!"

Walking quietly by Hermione's side as they made their way towards the gate, Ron whispered to her, "Sorry about mum. I told her I'm seeing Amelia. But she just wouldn't let it go. Er... about this date of yours... are you serious about him?"

Smiling at her best friend Hermione arched an eyebrow, "If I were you I wouldn't worry about anyone else' date but _your_ _own_! Amelia looks miserable. You'd better hurry back to her."

Ron's face turned scarlet as Hermione mentioned Amelia's name. He scratched his head uncomfortably and nodded. "Alright. Thanks for coming Hermione. It's always good to see you. Let's catch up after the holidays then."

After giving her best friend a gentle hug, Hermione disapparated with a soft pop, and soon returned to her quiet flat.

* * *

Of course what she told Molly was a lie. Hermione didn't have a date waiting for her for the evening. In fact, she had no plans for the next couple of days. Even Hermione knew how ridiculous it would be if she insisted on working over Christmas. She had told her former Potions Master turned client, just the day before, that she was going to spend the next two days at the Burrow. But that was before she came to the realization of the effect that her presence would have on the future of Ron's love life.

Feeling depressed about the holiday now that she had no plans for the next two days, Hermione sat down quietly at her desk. Naturally, her hand reached for the leather-bound notebook. Opening the cover, an idea slowly came to her mind... If she wanted a date, there would be only one choice...

Hermione thought for a long moment before starting a message on the magical paper:

_"Dear T,_

_Happy Christmas. You never told me your plans for the holidays. Since you never mentioned leaving town, I'm guessing you are home this evening? _

_I know I am pathetic. But I feel absolutely miserable right now._

_This is probably a lot to ask, knowing you've never even wanted to tell me who you are, but I'm going to ask anyway, because it's Christmas Eve. If you don't have any plans, and it's not too much trouble, do you mind joining me for a drink? It doesn't need to be long. We don't need to have dinner together. After all these years, you have no idea how much you mean to me. If I could make one Christmas wish, it would be meeting you face to face and wishing you a merry Christmas in person._

_All the coffee houses are closed now and so are most of the restaurants, but there is a pub in the corner of our neighborhood. I think when I stopped by last week I saw them announcing their Christmas Eve hours to cover until 6 or 7. Do you want to meet me there? Or if you like, let me know where you are and I can come and meet you."_

After re-reading her message several times, Hermione decided it would have to do. She really didn't know how else to say what she wanted to say; and she was tired of hiding her feelings for him. Adding the address of her neighborhood pub at the end of the message Hermione turned the page, and watched intently as the warm glow took away her request. After that, she waited.

It felt like sitting on pins and needles as the minutes turned into hours. By 4 o'clock in the afternoon Hermione knew she had to give up. He was not going to invite her out for dinner. And he would not commit to a meeting with her on Christmas Eve.

Fighting back her tears Hermione grabbed her handbag and a light coat, and decided to buy herself a drink at the pub.

* * *

The pub was a bustling place on Christmas Eve. Several groups of young friends were meeting here before their activities for the evening. Finding herself a quiet corner Hermione sat down by the bar. It was a muggle pub so butterbeer was not an option. Having no appetite for food, Hermione ordered herself a tall glass of beer. As the bittersweet liquid smoothing down her throat, she closed her eyes to wait for the alcohol to numb her senses.

She had never expected her holidays to be like this, to be without her parents, without her friends, and without anyone. Was this going to the beginning of life-long loneliness she should be expecting? She let out a deep sigh and ordered herself another beer. Running her fingers along the tall glass she remembered the Christmas Eve carols she used to sing with her parents when she was little, and the wizard board games she used to play with Harry or Ron over Christmas breaks. She remembered two Christmas ago, when she was visiting James and Lily's grave with Harry. Even then, she was not alone. But now... Hermione looked around her. The cheerful groups had already left the pub, leaving only a few lonesome souls hovering over the bar, watching the Christmas special on television.

A couple teardrops ran down her cheeks. One fell in the glass, the other made a tiny splash on the back of her hand. Wiping her tears away Hermione quickly realized that tears were not the only things blurring her vision; the alcohol had slowly clouded her mind.

Three beers later Hermione was even more miserable. She slouched over the bar and buried her face in her arms.

"Miss," She suddenly heard the bartender calling her, "The gentleman over there would like you to have this."

Quickly Hermione looked up, only to find a glass of clear liquid in front of her.

"Oh no... I can't drink any more. I'm going to be sick..." She slurred.

"That's exactly why you should stop drinking that beer and switch over to a glass of water." A velvet voice came from behind her.

It took Hermione a moment to turn around and to face the owner of the cool smooth voice. She knew it was Snape. She could recognize that voice with her eyes closed. But he looked different today. Narrowing her eyes Hermione tried to focus on the wizard standing next to her. He was wearing a black turtleneck sweater and a pair of black slacks. It was obvious that he had chosen his attire based on a consideration of the muggle population around them.

"What are you doing here, Professor Snape?" She arched an eyebrow and frowned at Severus. After working with Snape every day in the past few weeks, Hermione had realized that the wizard could be more reasonable than she had ever imagined. To her, he was no longer an intimidating former professor, a high-profile client or a war hero that needed justice. To be honest, Hermione considered him more of a friend than anything else.

Severus paused for a moment and stared at the young witch, whose judgment was clearly impaired by the alcohol that she had consumed. Inhaling sharply, he began, "I was told..."

"Oh that's right." Hermione waved her hand in the air, "I told you to try this place out the first day you moved into the neighborhood, didn't I. Well I'm glad you listened. I just found out today what a nice little bar they have here." She said, not realizing her voice was louder than usual. "You see, Professor Snape, I heard about this bar because Ron always came here to wait for me before I could get back from work. At first I thought, oh, how sweet, he misses me so much he's always here early to wait for me. But you know what I discovered, Professor Snape? He fell in love with football on TV! After Harry introduced football to Ron, Ron decided that football was the second best thing after Quidditch!"

"Could you please lower your voice, Miss Granger?" Severus frowned at Hermione, "You are drawing unnecessary attention."

"You are not my professor anymore, Professor Snape." Hermione rolled her eyes, in the process feeling a wave of dizziness run through her senses. Shaking her head slightly she went on, "I'm no longer your student. So that means you can no longer boss me around and give me detentions. In fact, I'm responsible for you!" She pointed a finger at his chest, "Maybe that means I can boss you around, Professor?" She winked at the man in front of her, not really knowing what just came out of her mouth.

Letting out a grunt Severus moved closer to her and said, "Would you please quiet down! And stop calling me Professor. People over there are staring."

"Sure Sssseverusss," Hermione whispered mischievously, "Stop calling me Miss Granger then. Do you know you calling me like that always make me feel… inferior? As if I was still a schoolgirl in your class. That's just so not fair..." She pouted.

Taking a deep breath Severus answered, "Alright, I apologize if that made you feel... uncomfortable... Hermione."

Laughing at the sound of her own name uttered by his velvet voice, Hermione took another sip of her beer. "I'm glad you came..." She murmured, "Who would have guessed... Severus Snape is here to rescue me from loneliness."

Narrowing his eyes at her Severus asked, "I thought you were at the Burrow. Did you have a fall out with Mr. Weasley?"

"Mr. Weasley? You mean Ron?" Hermione looked back at Severus wide-eyed, "No! I'm having a fall out with Mrs. Weasley." She laughed even harder when she saw the bemused expression on Severus' face. "Not like what you are thinking, Sssseverus... Molly wanted me to be together with Ron so bad that she was giving Ron's new girlfriend the cold shoulder. It was getting really awkward to be there. So I decided to leave."

"Are you bitter because you want Mr. Weasley back?" Severus arched an eyebrow.

"Ron?" She laughed again, "No! Of course not! He's my best friend! He's like my brother! Would you ever consider dating your brother, huh?"

Severus grimaced at the drunk witch in front of him, not sure what he should do with her. He pulled the glass of beer away from her and placed the water in front of her. "Drink this before you drown in that beer." He sighed, "What on earth are you doing?"

"I'm waiting for a friend who will not show up." Hermione had a sip of the cool water and looked back at Severus innocently.

Narrowing his eyes Severus said, "You do realize your words do not make any sense."

"Oh I make perfect sense, Sssseverus." Hermione closed her eyes momentarily as she felt another wave of dizziness washed over her. "You see... I invited a friend, a very good friend of mine, to meet me here. But unless he comes over here and tells me who he is, I have no idea what he looks like."

"That sounds like a very interesting arrangement, doesn't it?" The corners of Severus' lips slowly curled up into a smile. "So you _are_ waiting for someone. What made you think he wouldn't show up?"

"Oh I just know." Hermione groaned. "He can't come because he still needs to wrap some presents for his little children, and his wife wouldn't appreciate him running out to meet some young witch at a muggle pub on Christmas Eve."

"Who are you talking about?" Severus frowned.

"I just told you… I don't know!" Hermione shook her head sadly and continued on, "But I know I have to be right. He must be married, with beautiful children and a very, I mean _very_, attractive wife," A large teardrop ran down her face and she let out a sniffle. "who is just about to bring her beautifully roasted turkey out of the oven. My mum always said I should learn how to roast a turkey before I finish school. I kept telling her I would learn later. Look what's happening now! I may never have my mum and dad back again. And I still don't know how to roast a turkey!" By now Hermione was bawling over the counter. The bartender looked towards them with a very concerned gaze.

"How many beers have you sold her?" Severus snarled at the young man behind the counter.

"Not that many... sir. Three? I didn't know her tolerance would be so low..." The bartender answered in a shivering voice.

"Hermione," Severus let out a sigh and turned his attention back to the witch, "Did you eat anything? Are you drinking on an empty stomach? You are completely drunk. You need to go home."

"But I still don't know how to roast a turkey!" Hermione hiccupped.

"Damn the turkey." Severus grunted, and held on to one of Hermione's arm and pulled her out of the seat.

Feeling lightheaded, Hermione took a stumble forward, and quickly found herself landing safely in her former professor's arms. "I think I'm drunk Professor." She whispered.

"Damn right you are." Severus let out a quiet growl. Carefully he held on to Hermione's shoulders and led her out of the pub and into the street. Wearing her light coat, Hermione shivered in the winter breeze. With a wave of his hand Severus conjured out his black cloak and wrapped it around Hermione. Leading her into a quiet alley way he held on to her a little tighter. With a soft pop, the wizard and the witch disappeared.

* * *

"Do you not have any hangover potions?" Severus called out in frustration from Hermione's kitchen.

"No…" Hermione groaned, "I can't remember when it was the last time I had so much to drink… Urgh… I don't feel good."

A few moments later, Severus came back to Hermione's bedroom with a glass of orange juice. "You'll have to sleep it off then. A couple of good lessons for the know-it-all: never drink on an empty stomach, and always know your limit."

"Stop mocking me. I'm suffering…" Hermione pouted as she took the glass from the wizard's hand. "But… Thank you… Severus." She murmured.

Severus pressed his lips into a thin line as he watched Hermione taking careful sips of the liquid. "You are… welcome." He finally sighed.

The witch and the wizard sat quietly in the room for a long time, before Hermione asked, "Do you have any plans for tomorrow, Professor Snape?"

"I thought you were going to call me Severus from now on?" He continued, "To answer your question, no, I don't have any plans. But don't take it as an invitation to work on the case, Miss Granger. I know what you are thinking… neither of us have any plans, might as well make it a productive day…."

"That's not what I was going to say. And I thought I would be Hermione from now on?" Hermione let out a chuckle. "No, I was just wondering if you wanted to come over for dinner or something tomorrow."

There was a strange expression on Severus face that Hermione couldn't understand. A moment later he said, "Of course, that would be fine."

"Good." She smiled, "I'll think of something. Just don't expect a turkey."

"I think you made that fairly clear." He reached over and took the empty glass.

"Why do I feel so tired? And my head... " Hermione held on to her head. "It hurts."

"That's the benefit of being drunk." He sneered. "I suggest that you go to sleep right away."

Hermione lay down in her bed and mumbled, "I hate it when you are right…"

Shaking his head he grunted something she could not hear. When he reached her bedroom door she asked, "Severus, can I ask you a question?"

"I have yet to find the spell that can stop you from asking questions, Hermione." He turned around to face her, "What is it?"

"Do you think I'm attractive?" She asked quietly.

He raised his eyebrows at the unusual question. A moment later he answered, "I would think so. Why do you ask?"

"Do you think I'm boring?" She didn't answer his question, but asked another question.

"No I don't think you are boring." Severus answered immediately, "Many people consider you very interesting."

"What do you think?" She asked, with her eyes closed.

He walked back towards her and looked at her for a long moment. "I think you are a very attractive and interesting young witch, Hermione Granger."

She smiled with her eyes closed and she murmured, "Thank you for your kind words Severus. I appreciate it."

Sensing that she was about to fall asleep, Severus made his way back towards the door. And then he heard her murmuring to herself, "Too bad T doesn't think so."

Frozen in his path Severus stood in the door way for a very long time. When he finally made up his mind he turned around and said, "Hermione, I want to talk to you about something."

But there was no answer.

"Hermione?"

That was when he realized she was already fast asleep. Letting out a deep sigh he said, "You are wrong about your pen pal Hermione. He will never think you are boring. And you are a very attractive witch who means too much to him." Quietly he closed her bedroom door behind him and said, "But he sure is running out of time."

* * *

**_That's the little tango I thought I would have for you as a Christmas present. Tell me what you think. And... Merry Christmas!_**


	8. Moving On

_**Happy New Year everyone! I appreciate you following, reviewing the story, and adding it to your favorites. Your feedback made the best Christmas presents! **_

_**I apologize for the long delay... But the holidays added quite a few chores to my daily routines. Now that a new year is here, I have some added responsibilities at work that will require me putting in extra hours. Although I still plan on regular updates, it may take up to two or even, *gasp*, three weeks for each update. I hope you could be patient and stay with me for the rest of the journey (and I promise you lots of twists and turns down the road)! =)**_

_**Thanks TMNinjaGinga for being my beta!**_

_**All characters belong to the brilliant J. K. Rowling.**_

* * *

**Chapter Eight - Moving On**

Severus could have never expected the timing of his revelation to be so wrong. After all, it was not easy for him to finally decide on making the confession, and he had hoped to do it right.

Since day one Severus had decided that he would never reveal his true identity to the bushy-haired Gryffindor. At the beginning his reason was simple: he didn't want to have anything to do with her. His decision didn't change after the war, but it was made for a completely different reason: he had grown to care about her, perhaps a bit too much.

For years, Severus had considered Hermione's frequent messages the closest thing he had to conversations with a confidant. He couldn't help worrying that having her discover the truth about her secret contact would cost him the friendship. He wouldn't deny that it was a completely selfish act. However, he also thought that his decision was well justified: what she didn't know wouldn't harm her. As far as Severus could see, Hermione would never expect more than a friend from the other side of the magical notebook. Severus was sure that while writing to a mysterious pen pal after the war might provide some entertainment for the young witch, she would immediately discontinue her "writing hobby" if she knew she was writing to _him_.

Soon after the war, she began to drop hints here and there that she wanted to meet him. He ignored her as if he didn't pick up her questions between the lines. Severus had quickly convinced himself that she was merely curious. He couldn't bring himself to go to see her. Not only was he worried that his revelation would jeopardize their friendship, Severus was also afraid that the temptation would be too great if he met with her. If he had to face her and tell her it was him who wrote to her, he would likely want to tell her that he wanted something more than friendship. And that, in Severus mind, would simply be a laughable proposal for the young witch. Why would he humiliate himself with such a revelation? He found it much easier to simply refuse to answer her questions about his identity.

Severus' decision about his secret identity had wavered since Hermione had become his legal defense and started working with him every day. Day after day, Severus saw no prejudice or judgment in the young witch's soft brown eyes. Her sincerity made him feel uncomfortable. She was so forgiving and accepting. Yet he was betraying that trust because of his own selfish concerns.

When he saw her desperate message earlier that day, asking T to meet her at the pub, he knew he could no longer delay his confession. He still feared for the consequences, but he also knew that by keeping his identity a secret from her, he would never have her as a true friend.

That was why from the minute he entered the pub, Severus was prepared to tell her, "The person who has been writing you all these years is me. I was given the other notebook."

However, Hermione didn't give him the opportunity. She shut him up when he was about to say 'I was told to meet you here' and she brushed it off when he asked 'what made you think he wouldn't show up'. It didn't take long for Severus to realize that it would take a much more sober mind of hers to process and accept his confession.

He had decided to wait for another time to bring up the subject again, until he heard the questions she asked right before she fell asleep.

"Too bad T doesn't' think so." He replayed in his head again and again the exact words that she uttered in her sleep. He had never expected this kind of revelation from her. Had he really been so blind and not realized that he might have a better chance with her than he could have ever imagined?

After he stepped out of Hermione's flat, Severus left the building and wandered purposelessly in the darkening street, considering what he should do next. While he was sure about what to do before he saw her at the pub, he was not so sure any more. He was torn between being T and being Severus Snape. She obviously wanted T to think of her more than a friend. But it was Severus Snape whom she invited to dinner on Christmas Day. If she had already considered Severus a friend, would his confession cost him his friendship with her both as T and as Severus?

With his choices once again blurry, Severus disapparated at a deserted street corner and returned to his house at Spinner's End. He must put his dilemma aside for a moment, because he had a Christmas present to wrap, for _her_.

* * *

By the time Severus walked past Hermione's flat and returned to his own unit it was already past mid-day on Christmas. As soon as he walked in the door he noticed a warm glow radiating between the pages from his notebook. Quickly he walked up to his desk and read her note:

_"Merry Christmas! I hope you had a nice Christmas Eve with your family._

_I'm writing this morning to ask you to please disregard my previous message from yesterday afternoon. I have been under a lot of stress lately and was obviously not thinking straight. _

_I have been doing a lot of thinking since I sent you my last note, about our friendship in the past few years. I don't know what you think of our friendship / relationship / or whatever you think we have between us. But it has become clearer and clearer to me that I've gotten it wrong. _

_From the very first day when I received the notebook from Dumbledore I have been trying to figure out who you are. Because you are so good at keeping your identity a secret, I have been using my imagination to fill in the blanks. After so many years, I have created a very realistic person in my mind, although I do realize you are likely to be completely different from what I've thought of you. What I am trying to say is, T, don't get me wrong, but I think I have become too attached to someone who was created by my own imagination. _

_As I reflected on our communications, I realized I have been imposing on you to continue our messages since the end of the war. I have also been pushing you to reveal your identity. That was very insensitive of me; and I apologize. If there is anything I can leave you with, I want you to know that your friendship means so very much to me. In a way, you have been my best friend whom I have never met._

_Please forgive me for this rambling message on Christmas Day. Why is it so hard to say this, even on paper? Please forgive me… but I need to stop writing you, at least for a while. I have decided that I need to open my eyes and open my heart. There are so many other people around me who care about me, but I never even notice them. I can no longer bury my head in my own imagination. I need to move on._

_I am sure I will write to you again sometime in the future, when I'm ready. Until then, please know that I wish you nothing but the best._

_Sincerely,_

_Hermione"_

Severus froze in his chair as he read the message before him. He wasn't sure if he should be happy or upset. It seemed as if she had solved his dilemma about his dual identity by saying goodbye to her pen pal. If he was about to lose her as T, he was not going to risk losing her friendship as Severus.

Letting out a deep sigh Severus turned the page, and watched her message dissolved into the paper. Carefully he picked up his quill and wrote down his short reply:

"_As you wish, Hermione. Do not apologize. You've done nothing wrong."_

As a warm glow took away his message, Severus realized that he might have just written the last message he could ever write to her as 'T'. He took a few steady deep breaths, trying to easy the tightness in his chest.

He didn't know how long he had been sitting by his desk staring at the empty notebook, when a familiar voice suddenly called out from his fireplace in his living-room, "Professor Snape? Severus? Are you home?"

Quietly he put away the notebook in his drawer and walked into his living-room. He wasn't sure what to say when he saw Hermione with a bright smile on her face in the green flames. Fortunately she did all the talking for him.

"Great, you are back! I'm ready for dinner if you are. I want to show you what I made."

Pressing his lips tightly he tried to return her smile, "I will be over shortly."

* * *

The door leading to Hermione's flat had been left ajar when Severus walked down the hall. As soon as he entered the living-room, he could smell something delicious coming from the kitchen. Hermione had some Christmas music coming from a muggle CD player. Severus recognized the song from years ago, when he first heard Christmas carols while visiting Lily's family over Christmas breaks.

"There you are." Hermione came out from the kitchen and beamed at him, "I know it's a bit early, but my mum used to always have Christmas dinner ready around three in the afternoon. I hope it's alright with you."

Still not completely recovered from the message he had read from her earlier that afternoon, Severus only nodded at her quietly as he handed her the Christmas present, which was neatly wrapped in a piece of maroon paper with gold ribbons.

"Oh my goodness, thank you!" She gasped as she took the package from him. "You even wrapped it in Gryffindor colors."

"Don't flatter yourself." He said impassively, "Red is a Christmas color. Don't read too much into it."

Smiling brightly at him Hermione replied, "That's right, silly me. How could I forget red is a Christmas color as much as green is!" Before Severus could respond with a growl she hurriedly added, "I hope it'll be okay with you if I open it up a bit later. I was just setting up the table. If you are not tired of mince pies, I have some right here waiting for you."

Following her into her small dining room Severus found an impressive display of dishes on the table. "I thought you said you couldn't roast..."

"A turkey..." Hermione finished his sentence for him with a smile. A light shade of pink slowly invaded her cheeks. "I'm always intimidated by a bird that size. But a chicken is completely different. I've done this a few times before. I hope you like it."

Severus noticed the young witch's blush, and he wondered if that was from her working hard in the kitchen. "Intimidated?" He arched an eyebrow, "I would have never expected the Gryffindor princess intimidated by anything, let alone a turkey."

"You are teasing me, aren't you?" Hermione looked up at the wizard through her long eyelashes as she sat down opposite Severus. "Merry Christmas." She raised her glass.

If this was four weeks ago Hermione would have never believe she could enjoy a Christmas dinner with Snape alone. Even though she had learned about the truth behind Severus' actions during the war, Hermione had always felt intimidated by the dark-haired wizard. However, by working side by side with him every day for the past few weeks, she had begun to see the intelligent, observant, courteous, and caring person behind those serious dark eyes and sarcastic comments. On this particular evening, Hermione thoroughly enjoyed the company of her former potions master.

They shared some small talk as they sampled Hermione's many "experiments" with her kitchen tools and the fresh ingredients she had bought from the market that very morning. Their conversation soon wandered from Hermione's childhood holiday memories to Harry Potter's many adventures in the past few years.

"Potter should be thankful that he had you watching over him." Severus commented at one point. "In my opinion, he was clueless for way too long."

"I think he owes you far more than anyone else, Severus." She smiled at the wizard, "Even before the war, you saved his life quite a few times. But I have to say, you really covered it well with your terrible unfairness towards us Gryffindors."

"Let's not change the subject." Severus replied coolly, "I suppose it is fair to say that Potter owes many people his life, doesn't he?"

"I didn't realize this is where this conversation was heading." Taking a small sip of her wine she smiled mischievously at Severus, "I was fishing for an apology."

They moved from the dining room to the living-room after dinner. Between a cup of coffee and a slice of sponge cake, Hermione finally brought up the topic that had been on her mind since that morning.

"Uh... about last night…. I am so very sorry." Hermione blushed as she recalled the embarrassing moment at the bar the night before, "I must thank you for getting me back here. And… about what I said last night… The way I addressed you and talked to you was completely inappropriate. Could you please… forget about it?"

"I wasn't going to remember any of your blabbing if that's what you are referring to." He continued looking at her with his deep dark eyes, but the corner of his lips slowly turned up into a small smile.

Severus watched in amusement as the young witch shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Thinking he would make her life a little less miserable, he changed the subject, "Would you like to open your present? It's Christmas after all."

"Oh how could I forget!" Hermione jumped up from the sofa, "I have something for you too!"

She disappeared into another room briefly and returned with the present from Severus and a smaller box wrapped in a sheet of sage green paper and silver ribbons. Handing the present to him she said quietly, "I hope you like it."

As his long fingers worked on the ribbons, Severus could feel her gaze fixed upon him. "I'm not grading a paper, Hermione." He sighed as he looked up at her, "You won't be receiving a grade."

"I can't help it!" She chuckled, and gestured him to go on.

A handsome scarf presented itself when Severus finally removed the wrappings. The scarf was in a shade of silver gray and was very soft to the touch. "You knitted this yourself?" He arched an eyebrow.

Severus still remembered the hideous hats that Dobby once wore while bringing him his afternoon tea before the war. The house elf proudly announced to him that he had received the hats as presents while cleaning the Gryffindor house. Severus wondered if that was where Hermione got her practice. If that was the case it was obvious that her practice had paid off: the scarf in his hands was simply perfect.

"Do you like it?" She watched him carefully and asked. "I made Harry and Ron each a stocking cap. Somehow I can't see you wearing a cap. And I thought silver would accommodate black reasonably well..." She began to play with the edge of her sweater as she waited eagerly for his comments.

"Thank you." He looked up and searched for her soft brown eyes, not able to stop himself from smiling warmly at her, "It's... very nice." He looked at the scarf between his fingers, feeling a small lump forming in his chest. He stopped himself from thinking too much about it and looked back up at the young witch, "Are you going to open your present?"

Smiling brightly she tore open the package in her hands. She raised her brows when a thick journal revealed itself. It had a slightly worn dark brown leather cover, and thin gold lines decorating the edges. Slightly confused, she looked up at Severus.

"Open it." He nodded at her.

In the bottom right corner of the first page she found the initials "SS" written in the familiar handwriting of her former potions master. Her eyes widened as she turned the page and saw a table of contents. Quickly she flipped through the first few pages and realized it was a systematically organized book of notes. From glancing through the topics, it was apparent to her that the notes were written to analyze all the magic involved in the "dark arts", and their common roots comparing to the commonly used magical theories. "Did you... write this?" She couldn't look away from the information in front of her. "This must have taken you a very long time!"

"A little over fifteen years." He answered quietly.

"You can't give this to me, Severus!" She looked at him completely shocked. The knowledge in the journal was priceless.

"I've wanted to give this to you for a while now." He was telling the truth.

"But this is practically a book! It's a manuscript. You can have it published!" The more she thought about it the more she realized the value of the journal.

"And have Rita Skeeter write about how I intend to worship the Dark Lord's power?" He said impassively.

"No! I can tell just from the topics that's not what you have written here." Hermione continued to looked through the topics, "It is obvious to me you wrote this to analyze the dark arts. You said it perfectly well here... 'by understanding the theories behind dark magic, common spells and charms could be improved or enhanced; new magical theories could be discovered'. Only narrow-minded people would consider this a promotion for the dark arts."

"There are plenty of narrow-minded people out there, Hermione." Severus replied.

"Why are you giving it to me?" She looked at him searchingly, not prepared for a gift so valuable.

"You are not narrow-minded." He answered flatly.

He held her gaze for a very long moment as he tried to burn her beautiful brown eyes into his memory. After what seemed like forever, he took a deep breath and asked, "You certainly did not think that I would have you keep the journal without a request?"

Her eyes widened in surprise. "What do you want me to do?" She asked tentatively.

"Am I still free to travel outside the country before the court date? With your company, that is, of course." He asked.

"Uh... yes, I suppose. You want to go somewhere?" She frowned at his question.

"Well, to put it properly, _YOU_ want to go somewhere." He corrected her.

"What do you mean?" Her frown deepened.

"You had mentioned to me last week that you sent your parents an anonymous Christmas card. It is only reasonable then, to assume that you know where they live. I would like to go visit them with you before the court date, and undo the memory charms you put on them. Because of the limited time we have, I would suggest that you put in your request for an international portkey first thing Monday morning."

It took Hermione a couple of seconds to make sense of his request. As she realized what he was offering her, she immediately began to protest, "No, we can't do that! We still have work to do. I want us to meet with all of your witnesses, and..."

"You seem to be forgetting what I told you at the beginning of our negotiation." He cut her off and said coolly.

"Negotiation?" She frowned, "What..."

"Didn't I say that I would reserve the right to refuse your service at any time? You may still end up with an uncooperative client in a little over a week." He narrowed his eyes and glared at her intensely.

Closing her eyes briefly Hermione let out a soft sigh. Shaking her head she looked at him again for a long moment. Finally, with tears glistening in her eyes she said, "Severus... if I didn't know you better I would have said that you are being a git. Why are you doing this for me?" Brushing away a stray tear, she smiled weakly at him, "Thank you."

* * *

_**Something was purposely left out in this chapter. Some of you may be questioning Hermione's feelings towards Severus. All will be explained later... Hope to hear from you! =) **_


	9. In the Garden of Roses

_**Thank you all for your patience! Finally... the next chapter.**_

_**I also must give a big big thank you to TMNinjaGinga. She not only proofread my draft, but also found the Grangers a perfect house in Australia! **_

_**All characters belong to the brilliant J. K. Rowling.**_

* * *

**Chapter Nine - In the Garden of Roses**

It was afternoon on the Wednesday two days before a new millennium. The muggles in the town of Malvern were busy preparing for the New Year's celebration, and were not paying any particular attention to a side street next to the neighborhood train station. No one thought much about it when a man and a woman emerged from the street corner after a soft pop.

It was not at all difficult for Hermione to apply for an international portkey. The lady at the Department of International Magical Corporation was rather shocked when Hermione showed up the Monday after Christmas, with an application for a portkey to visit her parents in Australia.

"Merlin! They must be so sad that you missed spending Christmas with them." The middle-aged witch behind the counter shook her head as she read through the paperwork submitted by Hermione. "You are lucky you are not my daughter. My youngest daughter is just about your age. She and all of her three older brothers and sisters know Christmas is family time. Nothing from work can interfere with that! Here... you will be receiving the portkey in a couple of days. You may want to consider the time change. Our day is their night." As the witch handed Hermione her traveling instructions she smiled kindly and said, "You may want an early morning departure, so that you can be there in time for dinner!"

A small potted plant served as their means of transportation. Within seconds, Hermione and Severus left the snow-covered street corner in London and arrived at a train station bathed in the balmy summer afternoon sun.

According to the map, the Granger's house was only a short walk away from the station. Not wanting to risk attracting any attention in a foreign land, Severus and Hermione decided to walk through the neighborhood, looking for their destination the muggle way. As they strolled down the quiet neighborhood streets, Severus glanced over curiously at the young witch walking next to him. She was unusually quiet, with her brows furrowed and her bottom lip slightly red from her constantly chewing on it. Severus had long ago noticed the nervous habit of hers. He arched an eyebrow but didn't say a word.

It was unnecessary for Hermione to look for the street number. As soon as she turned the corner and saw the rose garden in front of a light yellow house at the end of the street, she knew she had found her parents.

Her mother loved roses, and had always kept the best rose garden in the neighborhood as long as Hermione could remember. The rose garden down the street looked almost identical to the one her mother had at their house in London. Several red, white, and yellow rose bushes neatly stood against the white picket fence around the house. Feeling tears stinging in her eyes, Hermione abruptly turned around and began to quickly walk away.

Slightly confused by her change of direction, her travel companion caught up with her in a couple of long strides. "This is Haverbrack Avenue, isn't it?" The dark-haired wizard asked, "You told me you were able to locate them through a muggle agency. I thought you were fairly certain about the address."

"No." She shook her head quickly, but couldn't bring herself to look up at him. "I can't do this Severus. I can't face them. They won't understand. They won't listen to my explanations. They won't let you help them. And even if you do it by force, and they regain their memories, they will never forgive me."

"What is all this nonsense?" Severus took a quick step ahead of Hermione and stood in her way. Looking at her intensely he said, "Of course they will listen. They _will_ let me perform the procedures. And I _will_ _not_ need to do it by force. They _will_ remember everything before they left Britain. And after you explain the reason why you had to cast the memory charms on them, they _will_ _not_ blame you for what you did."

"How can you make it sound so simple?" She looked up at him through her tears. "How can you be so sure? You don't even know them!" Quickly she lowered her head and tried to walk around him.

Holding her by her shoulders Severus stopped her from moving forward. Taking a deep breath he began, "Listen to me Hermione: You are a kind, understanding, and compassionate person. You can't possibly expect me to believe that you've become that person simply by spending half of your life in the library. You are your parents' daughter. I have no reason to doubt their abilities to be as open-minded and forgiving as you are."

Hermione broke into a small smile as a couple teardrops escaped down her cheeks. Brushing her tears away with his long pale fingers Severus sighed, "I am not interested in pointing out how ridiculous it is for a Gryffindor to run away from facing her own parents. Lead the way. We have plans to follow."

As she turned around to face her parents' house again, she could feel his hand resting gently against the small of her back. The unfamiliar friendly gesture offered her a much needed support. She felt a little calmer as she sensed the warmth radiating from his palm.

The last few minutes of their journey felt incredibly long for Hermione. Her hands were trembling when her finger finally touched the doorbell. She inhaled sharply when her mother's smile greeted them at the door.

"Good afternoon." The woman whom Hermione had known for her entire life as mum looked at the visitors at the door curiously, "May I help you?"

"Uh... Mrs. Wilkins," Hermione swallowed as she struggled to sound calm, "My name is Hermione... Hermione Granger, and..." She couldn't go on as she observed her mother's reaction to her self-introduction. Her name meant nothing to her mother. The older woman continued to stare at her blankly. Feeling tears once again welling up in her eyes, she took a stumble backwards, but was immediately caught by Severus' arm from behind.

"Good afternoon Mrs. Wilkins," the wizard made a small step forward and inserted himself between Hermione and her mother, "Please forgive my colleague. She is new at the Embassy and is rather... inexperienced. My name is Severus Snape. Miss Granger and I are from the British Embassy. We are here to deliver you and your husband some news from home."

Frowning slightly at his words, Hermione's mother turned around and called, "Wendell, can you come here for a minute? We have someone visiting from the Embassy."

Hermione could feel her heart racing in her throat as her father emerged from the house.

"What is it, Monica? I thought I heard a familiar accent." A man with receding hairline greeted the visitors with a small smile, "From the Embassy? Hello. What can we do for you?"

Hermione was thankful that she had Severus next to her, because she was completely at a loss of words in front of her own parents. The wizard went on and told their made-up story in his cool smooth voice, and quickly convinced the older couple that it would be best to move their discussion about the "news" related to some long-lost relative back in England inside the house.

"Thank you." As Severus sat down next to Hermione in the couple's living-room he began to explain, "The reason why we are here today is because we have news about your daughter. She..."

"Our daughter!" A gasp escaped from Hermione's mother as she quickly covered her mouth with her hand. Her eyes widened in shock as she looked back at her husband.

"You must be mistaken." Hermione's father frowned at the visitors and gave them an uneasy smile, "We don't have any children."

From the corner of his eye Severus could see Hermione looking back at him, brows twisted in a knot. He felt her hand slowly reach up for his arm, and give his sleeve a small tug. Without looking back at her, he quietly covered her hand with his and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"Please allow me to explain, Mr. Wilkins." Severus began patiently, "It was a complicated situation. I am certain you will understand after we explain everything in detail to you. But let me start with this: you do have a daughter. Your memory has been altered for your safety."

"What is this? Are you from a Sci-Fi movie? Memories alteration?" Hermione's father protectively pulled his wife into his arm, "I don't know what you are talking about..." But he couldn't help his voice from trailing off, as if he was having second thought about his statement.

Narrowing his eyes at the muggle couple in front of him Severus said, "I don't expect you to blindly believe everything I'm telling you. But if you think carefully about it, you know I am telling the truth. Haven't you noticed little things you cannot recall, or gaps between the years that you seem to have forgotten, or even strange dreams that keep coming back to you? Those are some side effects of the memory alteration. Your daughter had to alter your memories because she couldn't find a better way to keep you safe. Now that the danger has passed, it is time for you to have her back."

The older couple exchanged a look between themselves, their frown deepened.

"Not very long ago I had just explained to your daughter that you would be as open-minded and forgiving as she was. As worried as she was, she listened to me." Came Severus' velvet voice, "All I'm asking of you is to allow me to help you through this painless process, I can assure you will be glad to have your extraordinary daughter back..."

* * *

A few hours later, Severus found himself marveling at the starry sky in Jean Granger's garden. The beauty of the roses had disappeared behind the black veil of the summer night, with only their sweet-scented fragrance that surrounded the dark-haired wizard declaring their presence.

His exchange with the Grangers was almost exactly how Severus had expected. They were intrigued by his explanations and were willing to let him demonstrate his theory. As soon as he unlocked the memories for Hermione's mother, the woman completed the job of the convincing her husband for Severus.

"Jonathan Granger, you listen to me." The almost hysterical woman rushed to her husband's side after she finally peeled herself from a tight embrace with her daughter, "He is right. Our daughter is right here in front of you. Let Professor Snape help you. How could we forget! Hermione has always been the joy of our lives! She's been daddy's little girl since the day she was born! Remember the swing you built for her in our backyard? I never thought you could handle the saw and the drill so well until then. And remember our little ritual taking a stroll in the neighborhood every Sunday? That was when you taught her how to ride a bike…"

Severus wasn't surprised when Jonathan Granger thanked him with a warm handshake after he unlocked his hidden memories with a few waves of his wand. He wasn't even surprised when Jean Granger hugged him gratefully, as if he alone was responsible for their family reunion. He was, however, utterly surprised when Hermione locked her arms around him after her parents took turn thanking him.

"Thank you Severus." She whispered in his ear before placing a quick kiss on his cheek.

Bemused by the young witch's affectionate gesture, Severus watched curiously as Hermione ran away from him to her parents' side, trying desperately to hide her blush.

It had been a while since he had that blink of a chance to have her in his arms. But as Severus stood alone in the quiet garden, it felt as if the gentle touch of her soft warm lips was still lingering on his cheek. A shooting star glided across the sky in the distance. Closing his eyes Severus let out a sigh. Sybill Trelawney would have insisted this was a perfect opportunity to make a wish. As much as he hated to agree with anything the self-proclaimed seer would say, Severus was hoping for once that the witch was right. For the first time in many years, Severus wanted to know what would happen in the future. He longed for the day when he would no longer have to concern himself with his dreadful past, his unwanted association with the dark magic, and the suffocating politics in the world that he called home. If he could make one wish, he would wish for a future to be with the one witch who had always understood and accepted him, even though most of the time she had thought of him as someone else.

"There you are." Hermione's voice pulled him back from his thoughts. "What are you doing here? Mum is almost done making desert. You'll love her rice pudding."

"Your mother insists I should stay here with you instead of looking for lodging elsewhere. She doesn't seem to realize I feel intrusive being in the house. I thought it'd be better to give you some time alone with your parents." Severus answered blankly.

"Sorry about my parents." Hermione said apologetically as she walked up to his side. "Is their hospitality a bit overwhelming? I hope you can understand. They can't get over how much they had forgotten and how quickly you helped them remember everything. I think they really like you."

Frowning at the witch Severus said coolly, "I hope you are not accusing me of messing up your parents' heads."

"Why would you say that?" Hermione's eyes widened, "I am not accusing you of anything!"

"How else can you explain your statement?" Severus shook his head and said quietly, "It is very odd for people to _like_ me."

"That's what _you_ think." She chuckled in relief, "You're actually very likable. It's just that for some reason you always put up this intimidating facade. But as soon as one gets to know you, it's not that hard to see through that Slytherin mask of yours."

"You make it sound like you know me well." Severus couldn't keep his eyes away from the young witch next to him, and was thankful the darkening night provided a good cover for the hidden emotions in his gaze.

"I wouldn't have said that if you asked me a month ago." She smiled towards the distance before turning to face him, "But after working with you and talking to you every day for the past few weeks, after knowing all that you did in the past, and seeing what you are doing now, right here, for me," She took a deep breath and said, "I think I know you very well."

Severus fell quiet as he considered her words. A moment later he said, "Perhaps... But I have to say... I have a confession t..."

"Hermione sweetheart, are you in the garden?" Jonathan Granger called out from the kitchen window at the exact moment as the word "confession" left Severus' lips. "Your mother has your favorite rice pudding ready. Do you think Severus would like to join us?"

"We're coming dad!" Hermione answered happily before smiling at the wizard next to her, "I guess you'll have to make your confession some other time. Come, you don't want to miss this."

Severus couldn't find his voice as he felt her delicate fingers wrapped around his own. He followed her towards the house wordlessly. She's right, he thought, as his fingers laced with hers, the confession could wait.

* * *

Severus woke up to a room submerged in the morning sunlight. Following the rich and creamy scent of coffee, he walked down the quiet hallway to the kitchen, and found Jonathan Granger sitting by the kitchen table reading the paper.

"Good morning, Severus." the older man looked up from the paper and greeted the wizard pleasantly. "I hope you don't mind me calling you by your given name. Jeannie insists we should be respectful and call you Professor Snape. But I thought we can be a bit less formal after what we've been through, don't you agree?"

Severus dipped his head cautiously and acknowledged the man without a word. Somehow he had a feeling the older Granger had been waiting for this opportunity to talk to him.

"The ladies went to the market about an hour ago. I wouldn't be surprised if they have big plans for a special New Year's celebration." Jonathan Granger got up from the kitchen table and poured Severus a cup of coffee. "Sugar? Milk?" He asked.

"Black is fine." Severus took the cup from Jonathan and answered quietly, "Thank you."

Severus could feel Jonathan watching him as he walked over to the kitchen window with the cup of coffee in his hand.

"Would you like to take a walk with me in the garden?" The older man picked up his own cup, opened the door leading to the garden and waited for Severus. "The morning air in the rose garden is quite pleasant."

Severus walked along Jonathan's side quietly, waiting patiently for his host to ask the questions that were obviously occupying his mind. Severus was quite ready to explain to the muggle the magical theories behind the procedures he had applied to him and his wife the day before.

After a long pause of silence, the older man drew a deep breath and asked, "So... Severus, what are your plans with my daughter?"

Frowning at the question Severus stopped his footsteps. "I beg your pardon?" He wasn't prepared for this question.

Letting out a sigh Jonathan turned and looked at the wizard, "You may be a spy, a good one from what I've heard, but it's my daughter that you've been watching from a distance. I may not be able to read your mind, but I know my little girl, very well."

Severus stared at the muggle in front of him. He had never felt so exposed before.

Sensing his guest's anxiety, Jonathan Granger broke into a small smile. "Relax. I'm not going to threaten you to marry my daughter. I know you probably have mixed feelings towards seeing a woman who used to be your student..."

"And twenty years younger... I am old enough to be her father." Severus murmured.

"Don't flatter yourself, Severus." Jonathan chuckled. "Twenty years is not that much! Jeannie and I started late. She was thirty-five when she had Hermione. And I was thirty-nine. I know people in the wizarding world start having children early. Say... I'm probably close to twenty years older than you? Am I old enough to be your father?"

Severus arched an eyebrow at the man in front of him. This conversation was becoming stranger by the minute.

"But that's not the point, is it?" Jonathan chuckled at his own words and stared down at the coffee cup in his hands. "Hermione has always been more mature than the boys her age. You should have seen her presenting a reasonable argument in front of her kindergarten teacher. Every time when she came home with her friends from Hogwarts, Jeannie and I always joked behind her back, calling her the mother hen of them all. I have always expected her to fall for someone much older than her own age."

Severus bit the inside of his cheek, not sure what he should say in response. Fortunately Jonathan Granger did not seem to be waiting for his input.

"We have long ago suspected that Hermione had a crush on one of her professors. Jeannie first thought it was Professor Lupin in Hermione's third year. But I always knew our little girl had her eyes on someone else. She told us a lot about you, by the way." Jonathan smiled at the surprised Severus. "And not just last night. She's always been impressed by your knowledge all those years sitting in your classroom. But from what she told us last night, I realized she is more than impressed by your magical abilities. And from your exchange and the way you looked at her, I dare say her affection is not unreturned." A smile slowly spread across the older man's face as he observed Severus' reaction. Quickly however, a small frown crawled up the father's brows as he recalled his daughter's war-time experience that he learned for the first time the night before, "I have to say though... your under-cover spy business definitely affected her. It sounded like she was quite heartbroken for a while. And that's when she met this 'pen pal' of hers."

The wizard's shoulders tensed upon hearing the mentioning of Hermione's "pen pal". Jonathan noticed his reaction as well, but he clearly took it from a completely different angle. "No need to worry. That shady man should not be your competition. If I understand it correctly, Hermione has already called it quits with him. And I should probably thank you for letting her see clearly what is real and what is her own imagination."

Severus' eyes narrowed as he took in a father's comment on his secret identity. Not getting the response that he wanted, the older man turned away and let out another sigh, "You don't say much, do you? Hermione told me she's helping you with some problems with your Ministry. She told me you've been framed. She told me you're innocent. And she also told me she trusts you. I want to believe that my daughter is still the same clever little girl that I've always known. You protected her and her friends during the war. You brought her back to us. You give me no reason to doubt your intention. But I must say this..." He turned around and looked at the wizard straight in the eye, "Whatever you do, don't play with her feelings. Don't be like that pen pal of hers, stringing her along all these years, yet never give her a straight answer about what he wanted with her. Who knows who that person was! From what Hermione has told us, I wouldn't be surprised if he's a married man toying with a young girl's heart!"

Severus froze at the spot as he looked back the concerned father. He opened his mouth, but no words came. Suddenly he saw Hermione and her mother waving at him from a distance. They had just returned from their shopping trip.

Following Severus' gaze Jonathan took a quick glance over his shoulder, and noticed the presence of his daughter and his wife. Quickly he turned to look at Severus again and said urgently, "I don't' know if I'll have a chance to talk to you alone again before you return home with Hermione. So promise me now Severus. Promise me you will never hurt my little girl."

Swallowing hard Severus looked back at Hermione's father with his deep dark eyes. A long moment later, in an impassive voice he replied, "You have my word."

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_**I hope to hear from you. As it gets harder and harder to find time to write, your reviews keep me going!**_


	10. the Affair

_**Thank you all for your patience... The busy crunch finally passed. I hope I will be able to return to a more regular updating schedule. Keep your fingers crossed for me! =) Thanks!**_

_**And a shout out to TMNinjaGinga! Thanks for taking the time from your busy schedule to help me with my draft!**_

_**All characters belong to the brilliant J. K. Rowling.**_

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**Chapter Ten - The "Affair"...**

Hermione closed her eyes as she let the portkey pull her away from her mother's sunny rose garden. In a wave of dizziness, she felt as if she was squeezed through a tube, before being deposited onto the opposite side of the world. When she regained her balance again, she shivered, and found herself in a quiet street corner back in an England's winter night.

The snow storm that lasted all day in London had just stopped, leaving behind a thick layer of fresh white powder, covering the streets, tree branches and muggle cars parked sparsely along the streets. Pulling her cloak tightly around her shoulders Hermione shivered once more. A dark shadow came to her side, shielding her from the path of an intense wind chill. She couldn't help but smile - him and his subtle ways.

Severus didn't seem to pay attention to the smile lingering on the corners of the young witch's lips. With his brows slightly furrowed, he simply walked by her side in complete silence.

The memory of their quick trip to Australia brought the familiar butterflies back to Hermione's stomach. The feeling became stronger and stronger every time when she was near her former Potions Master. As her mother had teasingly pointed out during one of their girls' night time chat, this was not the first time Hermione was attracted to the one wizard she never seemed to be able to impress. Professor Snape was the only teacher who managed to make Hermione nervous throughout her school days. She had called him intimidating when she talked to her friends, although only she knew her fear for not doing well in his class had never been the reason for her stomach's flip flops.

For years Hermione had admired the Potions Master's intelligence. When they were in the same room, her attention was always uncontrollably drawn to his tall and lean figure, his cool smooth voice, and even, his sarcasm. Hermione couldn't remember how many times she had to hide her smile when she realized she was the only one in the classroom able to recognize the wizard's dry sense of humor. And oh, how could she forget... How could she forget the way he moved, the way he dueled, knocking Lockhart out with a flick of his wrist... and the way he made his exit, always with his black cloak billowing behind him...

Thinking back, if it hadn't been Harry's troubled relationship with Professor Snape, Hermione was sure her teenage self would have done some embarrassing things just to get the young professor's attention. Yet that girlish crush she had on the wizard was replaced by confusion by the time she left Hogwarts. Harry's recount of the scene of Snape's apparent murder of Dumbledore broke Hermione's heart. She simply couldn't join the others in condemning the alleged traitor, and had the hardest time accepting the image of her idol committing an unforgivable crime.

Things had changed, of course, when the truth about Severus' allegiance finally came into light after the final battle. Although secretly Hermione was glad to confirm her faith in her former professor was not misplaced, for a long while she thought she had lost the "special feelings" for Snape. She had thought she had finally outgrown that silly school girl's crush. But she overlooked the fact that she simply didn't get to be around Severus Snape after the war. And with her heart distracted by the existence of the mysterious wizard living between the pages, the striking image of the Potions Master simply disappeared from her dreams.

Yet the past few weeks seemed to have changed everything again. After their initial meeting at the Detention Center, Hermione quickly realized Severus' true intention when he tried to discourage her from being part of his case. He was trying to protect her, even when the danger from Voldemort no longer in existence. But he did more than protect her. Just as she thought her romantic future could only involve her mysterious pen pal, it was Severus Snape who brought her home when she was lonely and miserable on Christmas Eve. In her drunken state she still remembered the rare compliment she got out of him. Was that what he really thought of her? Did he really think of her as an attractive and interesting witch? He had no reason to give her a journal that took him over fifteen years to write if she was merely the "insufferable know-it-all" who forced her way to be on his case, and he certainly had no obligation to travel half the world to repair her parents' memory right before his important trial. Hermione was quite certain that the wizard walking by her side felt something special about her, even though he was showing it in a very Slytherin kind of way.

Yes, she had to be right... Hermione couldn't find another argument to explain Severus' actions. Just look at what they were doing at this moment: instead of apparating back to each of their apartments, which would have been a much quicker means of transportation to get away from the winter chill, they were both content walking next to each other, with only the sound around them being their boots crushing the white powder on the ground.

As she tried to avoid a small patch of ice on the road Hermione took a small step sideways and accidentally bumped into the tall wizard next to her. Feeling her hand brushed against his, her cheeks began to burn. Quickly Hermione cleared her throat, trying to hide her feverish blush.

"You shouldn't have let my mother get her way and make us stay for the extra day." She said, finally breaking the silence.

"I was not in a position to interfere with a mother's request for her daughter to stay for the holiday." He answered flatly. A moment later he added, "and it's not like I had anything pressing waiting for me back here."

"Of course you do!" She shot him a quick glance and shook her head, "Now we only have one day left before the trial. We won't be able to meet with all of your witnesses..."

"It doesn't matter." His calm and smooth voice stopped her.

"How can you give up so easily?" She frowned at him and stood in the middle of the road, with her hands planted firmly on her hips.

"Who says I'm giving up?" He arched an eyebrow and looked back at her, not slowing down his footsteps. "I'm only pointing out the obvious. The witnesses will not matter. The trial itself does not matter."

"What do you mean?" Hermione hurried and caught up with Severus and asked curiously, "You have a plan, don't you? What is it?"

He glanced down over her with his impassive dark eyes, and said, "The witnesses you've called and the documents that you've submitted to the court will not change the outcome of the trial. The trial was orchestrated before you even received the assignment. I agreed to have you work on the case because I agree with you that your chance to solve the case lies in the court. The individuals behind this fiasco will soon reveal their purposes during the trial, and you will soon find your answers."

"But what about you?" Her eyes widened. "What good would it do for me to find my answers if you end up being sent to Azkaban?"

"Your finding the culprit may shorten my visit with the dementors." He said quietly, seemingly not at all disturbed by her mentioning of his apparent fate.

"Is this what you had in mind this entire time?" She asked in disbelief, "If that's the case why did you even work with me for the past few weeks? Why did you bother answering my questions and sharing so much about your past with me? You should have skipped town when you had the chance! Leave London, leave the country, go somewhere no one can ever find you until this whole thing about them trying to prosecute you goes away!" She cried.

"Is this the Hermione Granger who bailed out a client using her own credit talking or is this the insufferable know-it-all trying to solve a problem that is obviously too big for her to handle?" He glared at her. For a brief moment Hermione braced herself for a heated argument. But then she heard him say, "I can't pull you into more trouble than you are already in." His voice softened, revealing a glimpse of the wizard that she never got to know in his classroom, "And besides, I didn't think it was a bad idea for you to get to know me."

Hermione held his gaze as she stared into his deep dark eyes. A moment later she turned away from him and sighed, "I still hope you are wrong about this whole political agenda thing. But if you are right, Severus," she swallowed and frowned as she search for the right words, "You know I will find a way to get you out as soon as I can."

"I can only hope so." He answered quietly, in a voice that was merely a whisper.

"And Severus," she turned and looked at him again, "When this is all over, if it is alright with you..." a blush quickly crept up her cheeks as she looked down at the snow on the ground, "I would like to see you again. And perhaps we could..." she took a shallow breath and cleared her throat, "start something a little... more than... friendship."

He arched an eyebrow and glanced at her, "but that's not what you had promised when I agreed to have you work on my case. You said you would leave me alone if I prefer."

"But is that what you prefer?" She carefully glanced up towards him, feeling moisture gathering in her eyes. "Me staying away from you?"

Pressing his lips into a thin line the wizard frowned. It took him a long moment to answer her question, "That's going to be up to you, I suppose. I certainly am not in the position to have any expectations."

"And why is that?" she frowned. A few moments later she buried her face in her hands and groaned, "Oh my... I'm just being silly, am I? I'm imagining it... You have no interest in me. You don't want to have anything to do with me. And you probably..."

"Hermione!" He took a quick step ahead of her and stopped her mumbling by placing his hands on her shoulders. Dropping her hands from her face she looked up at him intently, trying to understand the expression in his eyes. "Listen to me Hermione," he began, almost too quietly, "You've learned a lot about my history in the past few weeks. Heaven knows why you are still interested in me after hearing what I've done for the Dark Lord. But I must admit that I am... thrilled by the idea of..." he stumbled on the words, "of extending our... friendship. However," he hesitated, but only a brief moment, "there is one confession that I must make before you decide what to do with our... friendship."

Hermione's eyes narrowed as she considered his words. What kind of "secret" was Severus was hiding from her? What part of his past had he been hiding from her? If she knew one thing about Severus, it was that he was complicated. Was she ready for this "confession"? She bit on her bottom lip and asked cautiously, "Will this secret you're about to tell me be something I'd like to hear?"

"Probably not." Severus sighed as he moved his hands away from her shoulders and began walking ahead of her again.

"Does it have anything to do with the truth about your role as a spy in the war?" She asked as she quickly caught up with him, worried that the statement she submitted to the Wizengamot may contain noticeable flaws.

"No." He replied, without slowing down to look at her.

"Your loyalty?"

"No." He answered quietly.

"Did you make any other unbreakable vows that you wish you didn't? Other than the one you did for Draco?"

"No." His voice was calm.

"So is it about your... other relationships?" She hesitated.

"No." He slowed down his footstep and gave her a strange look.

"Your..." she blushed, "sexual preference?"

"No!" He growled. Abruptly stopping, he turned and glared at her. "Please stop your pathetic attempt to guess! I will tell you everything when we get to your flat. I don't want to have this conversation in the middle of the street. If you decide to give me a tongue lashing, I'd at least prefer to take it in private." Without giving her a moment to react, he turned and sped up towards their shared apartment building.

With her brows twisted, she hurried her steps as she tried to keep up with his long strides. Walking in silence, both the wizard and the witch were lost in their own thoughts. As they rounded the darkening street corner, neither one of them was prepared to face what awaited them at the entrance to the apartment building.

Without warning, the wizard and the witch found themselves attacked by the blinding flashing lights of wizard cameras as they appeared out of nowhere. By instinct, Severus swiftly pulled Hermione into his arms and pointed his wand at the small crowd that surrounded them.

It took their eyes a couple of seconds to adjust to their surroundings and notice the more than a dozen witches and wizards, dressed in slightly awkward muggle attire, holding cameras and note pads, crowding around them. A couple of colorful feathers were floating in mid-air, moving frantically. It took Hermione no time to recognize the dreadful quick-quote-quills.

The group of reporters took their time watching the pair with great interest, as if they were vultures examining the prey that they had pinned under their talons.

"Mr. Snape, are you always so protective of your witch?" A voice asked from the crowd, and immediately broke the silence.

"Was she under age when you first started the affair, Professor Snape?"

"Snape, is the rumor correct that you visited Miss. Granger's parents asking for permission to marry her?"

"Was an unplanned pregnancy the cause of your proposal?"

"We had information about your private wedding at a beachside chapel in Ireland. Could you confirm the news?"

"Hermione, were you promised any monetary gain from the hasty nuptial?"

Hermione was shocked by the accusation style questions. However it was the fact that her travel plans with Severus had been leaked to the reporters that truly mortified her. Not able to find her voice, she looked up at Severus hesitantly, and found his dark eyes glaring at the reporters with a murderous gaze.

Without a word Severus held Hermione closer and pushed through the group of reporters into the building. When he was sure they were out of sight from any muggles, he held on to her a little tighter and with a soft pop, they apparated right into the living-room of her flat.

"I can't believe this!" She screamed as soon as they reappeared in Hermione's flat. "No one is supposed to know about our trip to visit my parents! How..." But she was stopped in mid-sentence as Severus' hand suddenly covered her mouth. With his wand still raised, he walked towards her study quickly without a sound.

Following right behind him, Hermione carefully looked over his shoulder when he slowly pushed open the door leading to her study. Hermione's jaw dropped as she took in the scene in front of her.

Her study was an absolute mess: notes and files and books were scattered everywhere, with a few pieces of paper gliding through the room, as if someone just threw them in the air. Before she could blink twice, a black cat darted in front them from a corner behind the door, ran across the room through the books, files and paper, bounced onto the desk, and began to hiss loudly.

Following the cat's eyes, Hermione saw a tiny beetle hopping towards the window. "Get her T! It's Skeeter!" She screamed and ran towards the half-opened window. But the animagus was nimble. The beetle hopped right out of the cracked window before Hermione and the cat could get to it.

"Argh!" Hermione screamed in frustration. "It's Skeeter! Why does it always have to be her! This is terrible! Now they will have plenty to write about before the trial! What should we do?"

Unexpectedly to Hermione, Severus did not seem to be as bothered by the unpleasant event as she was. Wordlessly he pointed his wand at the mess on her floor and began to send the books back to her bookshelf and her files back on her desk. He shrugged at her questions, and said in an even tone, "I don't see the need to be so concerned."

"Why doesn't that bother you Severus?" Hermione turned back to her desk and said angrily. She could tell the Skeeter witch went through her research for undoing memory charms and also her notes for Severus' upcoming trial. She couldn't begin to imagine the damage of the break in. And to make things more complicated, it was obvious Skeeter had been tipped off about their trip. Without any evidence, Hermione wasn't sure how to even bring up a charge against the witch at the Ministry.

"I need to file a report about this! Have you gotten any ideas where I should start?" She made a sudden turn to face Severus, just in time to see him closing a familiar black leather-bound notebook. When she blinked again he had closed the notebook and was handing it to her.

"Where would you like to keep this?" He asked quietly.

Taking the magical device from his hand Hermione frowned. There was something strange about what she just saw, but in the mist of her fury, she just couldn't put her finger on it. Something was not right...

"You hardly have any time to deal with her." She heard his smooth voice saying to her, "Let them write whatever they want. It's all rubbish anyway. You can't possibly worry about their words damaging your reputation..."

"Of course I am worried!" She snapped. She had no reason to be angry at him. But she was so upset about her own carelessness, she couldn't control her rage. "It means everything about my reputation! Did you not hear them? Those are terrible accusations! Us being together! That's outrageous! Totally not acceptable!" She screamed.

He still did not speak as he listened to her rants. When she finally stopped he asked calmly, "Is it really that bad? To be linked with me?"

The strange tone of his question sent a chill down her spine. Too stubborn to retract her words she simply answered, "Not like this... Severus. I don't know... I don't know what's going on..." She dropped her head and ran her hands through her hair, "How am I going to deal with the press?"

Nothing had changed in his expressions. His dark eyes continued watching her. Yet when he finally spoke again there was a trace of coldness in his voice.

"It will pass before you know it." He said plainly, "The trial will be over in two days."

When she looked up again she noticed he was leaving. "Wait Severus!" She hurried after him. "I'm... sorry that I lost my temper. I... I was just not ready for this kind of surprise."

He stopped walking and looked back at her. Giving her a curt nod he simply said, "Understandable, Miss Granger."

"Aren't you going to tell me the biggest secret in your life?" She forced a small smile at the wizard, trying to change the subject and forget the drama they just experienced.

He narrowed his eyes at her and paused. A moment later he looked away, and continued his way towards her fireplace, "There aren't any big secrets. You have more than enough to worry about right now. Perhaps... some other time."

Later that night, Severus sank deep into his sofa by the fireplace. Raising the glass of fire whisky to the angry flames dancing in the hearth he murmured, "I didn't know how to fulfill the promise I made to your father. But I think you just gave me the answer."

* * *

**_We've had quite a little break since the last chapter. Do I still have your love? I'm desperate to know..._**


	11. and the Scandal

_**Thank you so much for your reviews! I love you all! I'm so excited to know you are still interested in knowing what'll happen next... ******__Well… the following is a little surprise to show my sincere gratitude! _=)

_**Thanks TMNinjaGinga for being my beta!**_

_****__**All characters belong to the brilliant J. K. Rowling.**_

* * *

**Chapter Eleven - ... and the Scandal**

The unexpected run-in with the reporters turned Hermione's world up-side-down.

It was not, however, because the prospect of her "unprofessional relationship" with her client would soon become widespread gossip around the country; nor was it because someone in the Ministry was spying on her personal travel plans and had leaked the information to Rita Skeeter. Hermione's heart only dropped to her stomach when she realized Severus was no longer in his flat the following morning.

After not seeing him come to meet her for breakfast as he had always done in the past few weeks, she had stood in the hallway knocking on his door for over ten minutes. No one answered. She tried to floo him at his flat, but he wasn't there. Just as she was beginning to worry, a large gray owl pecked on her window pane and delivered her a note from her missing client.

"Rest assured, Miss Granger." The note read, "I have no intention to damage your credit, although I also do not see it necessary to stay in the temporary flat. I have certain obligations to attend to today, and will not be available to assist you any further with unnecessary work in preparation for tomorrow's trial. Owl me the time you want to meet in the morning and I will see you at the Ministry."

She didn't cry when he refused her help when she first picked up the case. She didn't cry when the reporters made groundless accusation in front of her apartment building. But she broke down when she saw the note.

She cried because of two simple words in front of her: _Miss Granger_. That was what he had called her the night before when he left. And now, somehow it seemed, they had gone back to that formal working relationship, permanently. What happened to a simple "Hermione"? What happened to _her_ Severus? Or perhaps, as she wiped away her tears and choked back a sob she thought, he was never going to be _hers_.

* * *

Hermione and Severus entered the Ministry Atrium early the following morning. It was going to be at least another couple of hours before most of the Ministry employees would begin to arrive at work. Severus thought Hermione wanted to arrive early because she didn't want to be seen with him by others, so he didn't question her plans when she requested that they start the day early.

Knowing the speed of the Daily Prophet reporters, Severus was slightly surprised when he didn't see an article about their "love affair" in the paper the day before. He had wondered what Skeeter's story would focus on. Would it be Hermione's "inappropriate relationship" with a client, or his history of having "inappropriate relationship" with a student? But Rita Skeeter's story was really the last thing that could bother Severus. In fact, he couldn't care less about what Skeeter and her crew would say. What brought a tight knot to his brows this early morning was Hermione's reaction to the reporters' accusations and the painful decision he had made in the previous day.

He had thought Jonathan Granger had given him the answers he was hoping for. He had hoped he would have a chance to come clean to her about their secret communications in the past few years, and would be given a chance to start something special with her. Knowing Hermione, he knew the chance of her eventually forgiving him was not impossible. But when he saw how upset she had become when the paparazzi falsely assumed their relationship, he realized what it would mean to her if they did go down that road and have a real "affair". It had become very clear to him that any relationship between them would always provoke mockery and make her a target of ridicule.

Public opinion would mean nothing to Severus. He had long ago become immune to any form of verbal attack. But that didn't mean he had forgotten the feeling of being hated by the world around him. He had promised her father to never hurt her. Keeping that promise also meant he would not let her suffer because of him.

Thinking the best way to protect her from the torment was to keep himself away from her, Severus had avoided talking to her the entire day following their run-in with the reporters, and decided to give up on his hope for furthering their relationship. After making up his mind, he hardened his heart and left his flat early the previous morning. He moved all of his belongings back to Spinner's End, went to visit his mother's grave, and spent the night preparing for a lengthy stay at the least pleasant place on earth. Less than eight hours later, he found himself walking quietly by her side. The light scent of her hair reminded him of their brief conversation in her mother's rose garden. He simply didn't know how he could ever forget her.

Hermione was walking by the wizard's side, completely unaware of the internal turmoil he was going through. She had owled him to meet her at the Ministry early in the morning, hoping she would at least get to spend a few more hours with him. She had missed him terribly, although they had only separated the day before. After crying for hours with his note in her hand the previous morning, Hermione sat in her study for a long time, trying desperately to clear her mind. After spending the past few weeks with Severus, Hermione knew in her gut that she had finally found the one man that would be right for her. And there was no way she would give him up so easily.

A brown owl flew passed them and dropped a rolled up Daily Prophet into Hermione's hands as they walked down the hallway towards Hermione's office.

"Wait up Hermione!" Just as she was about to open the paper, they heard a familiar yelp from behind.

It looked as if Ron Weasley had just finished a marathon. The young wizard was huffing and puffing as he finally caught up with them. "Wait up... That bloody owl… so hard to catch…" Before he could catch his breath he snatched the paper out of Hermione's hand.

"Hey! What are you doing Ron?" Hermione asked surprisingly. "And what are you doing here so early? Give me back my paper."

"You have better things to worry about." Ron slowly straightened up and tucked the paper in his robe. He regarded Severus with a gulp. "Professor Snape." He dipped his head politely, obviously still nervous in front of his former professor.

"What do you mean? Worry about what?" Hermione frowned.

"I came in early to let you know Harry and I won't be able to come to the trial this morning. We were called late last night by the Department head to an urgent case in Wales."

"But Harry is one of the most important witnesses I've got!" Hermione felt a slight panic in her chest.

"We know... we know." Ron rested his hands on Hermione's shoulders, trying to calm the young witch down. Giving their surrounding a quick look, he began in a low voice, "Harry and I didn't want to wake you up in the middle of the night because we want you to get some rest for today. But we stayed up and worked out a plan. Harry left last night and went to visit the crime scene. He is writing down notes and things that we will need to follow up, like people we will need to interview and evidence we need to bring back and things like that. I am coming here early to warn you so that, if you can change the order or your witnesses, you can push him towards the end. Our plan is we will pretend there is some emergency with his fiancé, so that he can come straight back here and be your witness, while I take over whatever he has started. We have all our grounds covered. Ginny is staying home from work, pretending to be sick. Harry is actually expecting me now so I'd better get going. He _will_ be here, but just going to be a little late." He looked over at Severus, slightly awkwardly, and said, "Er… Professor... good luck!"

Severus gave the young wizard an approving curt nod, and watched Ron turn away slowly.

"Wait a minute," Hermione called after Ron, "That doesn't explain why I can't read the paper." Quickly she snatched the paper out of Ron's robe and she smiled warmly at her best friend, "I know what you are trying to hide from me. But don't you think at least I should know what they are calling me?"

"Well listen," Ron shifted his feet uncomfortably, "I just don't want you to be upset. We all know that Skeeter witch is lying in broad daylight, and none of us believe a word of it. If it means anything to you, even mum called her a liar and threw the paper in the fireplace."

"It's not a big deal." Hermione took a small step forward and hugged her best friend gently and said, "I just want to know what's written in the paper. And thanks for coming to warn us."

Ron shook his head in defeat and returned her hug, "I still remember how upset you got when she wrote about you and Harry. I just don't want you to get hurt. Be careful alright?"

The young wizard quickly left and disappeared at the end of the Atrium, leaving Hermione and Severus to continue their way to her office. Once they got there, she unrolled the paper and stared at the front page. Right in front of her, was the picture of Severus holding her protectively in his arms. She was lost momentarily in the memory of the night before.

"Perhaps you should consider your friend's advice." Suddenly there came Severus' smooth voice.

"Huh?" Hermione looked up wide-eyed, "What was that?"

Severus rolled his eyes and reached for the paper, "Why let her bother you with a load of bullock. She could get nasty while calling names. Words can be hurtful. Why let it get to you if you can help it?"

Holding the paper closer to her she took a step away from him. "You really think I would be upset about what she writes about me?" She asked quietly.

"It's only an educated guess." He shrugged, "based on your reaction the other night, you won't like what she will say about you having… something… to do with me."

She blinked a few times at him and set the paper down next to her on the desk. Slowly she walked up to him and said, in a quiet voice almost like a whisper, "I couldn't care less what she says Severus. In fact, I wish all of their accusations the other night were true."

"What?" Severus inhaled sharply and asked in disbelief. "What are you talking about? You wanted it to be true? You wanted… us… to be true?"

"Yes… I do. I wish… that could be true." Hermione dropped her head and said. A moment later she looked up at Severus, with tears glistened in her soft brown eyes, "Severus, I wish we could get to know each other sooner, and had started our friendship sooner. I… I think... I love you. And I… I think you are not really that revolted by me as you are so desperately trying to pretend." She broke into a small smile, and wiped away a stray tear. "I wish you wouldn't push me away."

Severus swallowed. He was speechless. She had just offered him something he could only dream of. But then, he suddenly remembered all the opportunities he had missed to make his confession.

It was as if Hermione read his mind. She spoke again before he could find his voice, "Whatever you were going to tell me the other night will not matter. I still feel the same about you. I know how many secrets you had to keep and how many regrettable things you had to do as a Death Eater. None of that bothers me. When this is all over we can sit down and talk about it. But now," She took hold of his left hand, "If I didn't just make a complete fool of myself, if you feel anything that remotely mirrors my sentiment, please… let's just spend a little more time together. If the trial does turn out the way you predicted, I couldn't live with the knowledge of you being locked away in Azkaban without knowing how I feel..."

He didn't need to hear another word.

Before Hermione could finish her sentence, she found herself wrapped tightly in his strong arms. She rested her head on his chest. She could hear his racing heartbeat and the warmth of his body. Taking in the fresh scent of his coat, Hermione broke into a teary smile. "We could have been doing this all day yesterday you know, with a pot of tea in my living room."

A long moment later he said quietly, "What a dunderhead I've been… I'm so sorry… Wait for me Hermione. We will have our time again. I rather like the way you make your tea."

When she broke away from his embrace she looked up bashfully, and found his dark eyes gently gazing upon her. She had never seen him this way, and had never found him more handsome than this moment. Slowly she rose on her tiptoes and reached for him. He lowered his head to meet her lips. His soft and warm lips brushed against hers, sending a string of sparks down her spine. _This must be what the sparks of love feel like._ She thought to herself as she reached up for his shoulders and pulled him deeper into the kiss.

When they finally broke apart they found themselves panting for air. Severus broke into a quiet laugh and shook his head, "I can't believe this… I'm getting too old for this kind of drama."

"There is no drama Severus." She looked up at him with a shy smile. "I think this is what love feels like."

"Maybe… well, that too. I'm a bit old for that, don't you think?"

"Too old? For love?" Hermione arched her eyebrow, "Says who?" She nudged him gently in the side.

"Says that Skeeter woman." He pointed at the paper on the desk.

Hermione took a thoughtful look at the paper and back to Severus. "Come read it with me." She pulled him with her by the hand, "We need to know this."

"What do you want to know from reading a bunch of lies? You just said you couldn't care less what she says." Severus grunted.

"Don't you understand?" Spreading the paper across her desk she answered, "I need to know what they were trying to get at by ambushing us that night. Someone had tipped them off about our traveling plans. If she wrote for the people behind all this, we should be able to at least get some sense about how they plan on attacking you today in court." She looked up at him and said, "I don't want our trip to become something they can use to damage your credibility." Letting out a deep sigh she continued, "I was beyond angry the other night when I realized by helping me, you had risked so much. I'd be so sorry if they use it against you."

"That was why you were upset?" His eyes widened.

"Of course! Why do you think I was so mad?" It's her turn to sound surprised, "You can't seriously think I would be upset because people think of us as an item?" Shaking her head slightly she mumbled a "dunderhead" before turning her attention back to the front page of the paper, but not before letting a smile escape the corner of her lips.

"Wow." A few minutes later she declared sarcastically.

"Indeed!" He sneered at the paper. "Even a veela could not be as accomplished as you, Hermione. Let's see… Potter, pretty much all of the Weasley men, Malfoy, Krum, Black, Lupin, Shacklebolt, and now me. You sound quite a… witch."

"Witch? How polite of you. She is practically calling me a slut. Or should _whore_ be a better word to summarize these kinds of _accomplishments_." Hermione frowned at the paper.

"Language Miss Granger, language." He sighed quietly.

"But did you notice it's all about me and not much about you?" Her brows were twisted into a knot when she looked up at him. "You'd think it would be more effective to target the accused than the legal defense on the day of the trial."

"Very interesting indeed." He answered thoughtfully. "You must be prepared for what's to come at the court. It could be rather humiliating."

"I don't care." She smiled bravely at him. "We both know the truth. People can say whatever they want."

"That Skeeter woman's poisonous quill didn't ruin your appetite?" He arched an eyebrow at her.

A small growl in her stomach practically answered his question. "I guess not." She blushed as she covered her stomach quickly with a hand. "Either the story or you just brought out my appetite. Let's go get some breakfast. I could barely eat last night without knowing where you'd been."

"I shall hope it's the presence of me that brought back your appetite." He gave her a small smile. "As an apology for my absence last night, allow me to take you out for a decent breakfast."

She had never felt so right as she walked next to him out of the Ministry.

People had started to arrive at work by the time Severus and Hermione returned to the Ministry. Right after they turned the corner in the hallway towards her office, Hermione spotted a familiar blond wizard peeking through each office door, as if looking for someone.

"Draco!" She called after the young wizard, not able to help the excitement in her voice. "I'm so glad you came! You and your parents are the only ones who didn't confirm your appearance today."

"Granger." Draco Malfoy acknowledged Hermione in a low voice before turning to face his former head of house. "Severus, father sent me looking for you. He needs to talk to you, right now. And Granger," He turned back towards Hermione, but didn't look up to meet her eyes, "We can't be your witness. Mother doesn't think it's a good idea for us to attract any public attention right now. It hasn't been very long since the war…"

"It's been over two bloody years!" Hermione felt anger begin to boil. "How could you…"

"That is not necessary." Severus put a hand on Hermione's shoulder and stopped her from lashing out at Draco. "It's certainly understandable Draco. Tell your father to come to Miss Granger's office. We can talk here."

The blond haired wizard didn't miss a beat and disappeared into the hallway.

"They are cowards!" Hermione hissed angrily as they returned to her office. "Why are they not willing to help after all you've done for Draco and for us all?"

"No." Severus shook his head, "Don't blame them. They are only being cautious. Only the courageous Gryffindors run around town pretending everything is back to perfect after the Dark Lord's defeat. It's not so simple Hermione. You may be surprised by what Lucius has to share with us."

They didn't have to wait long before Draco returned with Lucius Malfoy. The older Malfoy had somehow lost a bit of the almost regal attitude in his movement. The wrinkles around his eyes and the reduced volume of his bleach blond hair had begun to show his age. But when he glared at Hermione, she noticed he was still as arrogant as ever.

"Severus," He began, but he stopped as he frowned at Hermione. "I need to speak with you in private." He said.

"That's why I told Draco to bring you here." Severus replied coolly, "We _are_ in private."

"What about her?" Lucius spat. "Don't tell me you expect me to believe a single word in Skeeter's story. She's not your mistress Severus. I don't think this concerns her."

"She is fine." Severus answered calmly. "She's my legal defense." He ignored the surprised expression on Lucius' face and continued, "You can trust her. I do."

"Trust?" Lucius' eyes widened. A moment later he sighed, "How little do I know you Severus?" He shook his head briefly before turning to his son, "Draco, guard the door outside. We don't want any interruptions."

Draco gave Hermione a curious glance and hurried out the door.

"Muffliato." Lucius pointed his wand at the door before turning back to face Severus and Hermione. "Listen Severus, we can't help you from the witness stand. You and I both know," he glanced over at Hermione, as if wondering her ability to understand his words, "this is beyond a trial. I did however look into it. They brought in a lawyer from America to make the case against you. Kurt Myles is his name. We are acquainted through some joint venture business in Germany years ago. He is a very experienced lawyer, never lost a case. That's probably why they hired him."

"Who are _they_?" Hermione couldn't help voicing her question.

Sending her a cold glance Lucius completely ignored her. "But you don't need to worry about him Severus, for he's merely a hired gun, granted, a good one. I pulled a few strings and met with him this morning. Because of some shared interest in an investment, he agreed to spare you from a Dementor's kiss. He agreed he wouldn't even recommend that sentence to the Wizengamot, as long as you agree to meet with him ahead of the trial. He doesn't like to be surprised you see, and he's already done all his homework. It's all a show and he likes to have everything rehearsed. You need to listen to me this time Severus. Go meet with him in his temporary office at the Department of International Relations. Follow his lead, and at least it will make it easier for everyone."

"Who's _everyone_?" Hermione couldn't believe what she's hearing. "Who's behind all this and why should Severus follow _his_ lead?"

"When will you start teaching your students proper manners Severus?" Lucius spat through clenched teeth.

"She has a valid point, Lucius." Severus answered calmly, but his dark eyes had never been more intimidating. "Why should I listen to you?"

Lucius regarded the dark-haired wizard for a long moment before answering, "I don't know Severus. I honestly wouldn't trust another soul if I were you. The only reason I spend the past few weeks trying to get through to Myles, was to repay a life debt that Narcissa and I owe you, although I believe the terms of the indebtedness were never properly negotiated. Narcissa was foolish to go to you for help without consulting with me first. But I acknowledge that by fulfilling the unforgivable vow, you were the reason why the Dark Lord didn't consider Draco the obstacle between him and the Elder Wand. And I suppose that is why I should be grateful. I'm not asking you to trust me Snape, but consider this our one and only offer for the repayment. Take it or leave it. It's up to you."

Without waiting for a reply the blond-haired wizard waved his hand haphazardly and removed the spell he cast around the door, and left without a sound.

After a long moment of silence Hermione came to Severus side, "You can't honestly believe him, Severus. He's with that Skeeter woman."

Shaking his head thoughtfully Severus said, "Not likely. Skeeter is an opportunist. The Malfoys have lost their influence. I think we should pay Mr. Myles a visit."

* * *

**_Love to know what you think of the political agenda so far. Interested in knowing what'll happen in court? Coming up... the meeting with a foreign attorney and the trial of Severus Snape. =)_**


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